


Asking For Trouble

by 16mistypaw



Series: Asking for Trouble [1]
Category: Bleach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-08-05 16:36:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 72,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16371212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/16mistypaw/pseuds/16mistypaw
Summary: Book 1 of Asking For Trouble.What happens when Urahara offers Zangetsu and Shiro a chance to get outside of their usual sideways city? Much amusement at first, but then things take a different turn, and Ichigo and his Spirits have battles to fight, both with others, and within their own world.





	1. Boredom or Insanity?

Across the sideways city, the sounds of clashing swords echoed. As a cloaked figure raced closer, the sounds became louder and more defined. With one more flash step the cloaked figure arrived at the scene of the fight. A tall boy in black robes with bright orange hair was fighting what could have been his shadow, except he was all white. Noticing the new arrival, both turned to see Zangetsu watching them.

"Hey Ossan!" Greeted the orange haired teen.

Zangetsu started to reply, "Don't get distracted in a fight Ichigo. You won't know-" he was cut off as Shiro shot forward and knocked Ichigo over the head with the flat side of his sword. "what your opponent will do." He finished with a sigh as Ichigo dropped to the ground holding his head.

"Darn it! Was that really necessary Shiro?!"

**"Hey, you practically begged for it, turning away from me like that."**  Shiro retorted, resting his blade on his shoulder. Ichigo just sat on the ground muttering and rubbing his head.  
"Did you need something, Ossan?" Ichigo asked.

"If you two are done arguing, would you care to join me?" Zangetsu asked. This earned a surprised look from both twins, which quickly turned into nervous suspicion. Zangetsu rarely invited them to do anything without there being some sort of catch.

"What for?"

"There is someone here waiting for you. You should go see what they want."

"How is there a visitor here? I thought only the three of us could be here." Ichigo stated.

**"It's possible, but not common. A person can visit another's inner world with help and permission from both person's Zanpakuto spirits."**  Shiro explained.

"Alright, fine. It must be important if you let them in, so let's go. Who's here anyway?"

"You should go see for yourself." Zangetsu replied, not wanting to be caught in the middle of Ichigo and his visitor. "I'll show you where they are, but it will be your conversation."

"Just show me where they are already." Ichigo was getting impatient now.

**"No need ta be so demanding, King."**  Shiro scolded mockingly.

"Shut it, Shiro." And with that, the two began to follow Zangetsu as he shunpo'd away.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Upon arriving at the outskirts of the sideways city, Zangetsu slowed down and jumped up into an open manhole in the road. Ichigo followed, then Shiro. Once inside, the gravity seemed to abruptly go back to normal, resulting in Ichigo landing face down in the dirt with Shiro on top, crushing the breath out of Ichigo.

"Get offa me, stupid hollow!" Ichigo managed to gasp out.

**"Git yourself out King!"**  The hollow growled before untangling himself and watching Ichigo sit up and catch his breath.

**"All ya did was fall on yer face and yer winded? Come on, you've gotta be better'n that!"**  Shiro taunted.

"Like you're any better. You fell on top of me!"

"Then ya should've moved outta my way! Then ya wouldn't have been squashed like a bug ya jerk!"

Ichigo stood up, ready to argue, but someone in a green haori stepped between them before they could continue.

"Come on, quit bickering you two. Zangetsu didn't bring you here to fight. He brought you here so we could have a little chat." Kisuke said.

"Chat about what? And why did it have to be in here, instead of out in the real world?" Ichigo questioned. Kisuke was one person that he definitely did not want in his mindscape.

"I came to meet him." Kisuke replied, pointing his closed fan at the Hollow. "Zangetsu, through Benihime, had visited a while ago, and made a request. That request being that you give your Hollow a chance to escape from your inner world for a bit."

There was a stunned silence for several moments until Ichigo found his voice, sputtering a reply. "Are you crazy?! He's insane! There's no way I'm letting him out!"

He was cut off by Kisuke speaking. "He may truly be insane, but it could also simply be boredom from being trapped in this endless mindscape. I also offer this opportunity to Zangetsu. He snapped his fan open and started fanning himself.

Ichigo was going to keep arguing, but then Zangetsu joined in. "Now Ichigo, think about this for a moment. If it's as simple as matter as I think, this may help. And I would also be there to keep an eye on him." Zangetsu was really pressing Ichigo now.

**"Hey, I'm still here ya know. Stop talkin like I ain't!"**  Shiro snapped.

"Well, it's not like you've really got any say in the matter idiot." Ichigo shot back.

"Shut up and listen, you blasted Strawberry idiots!" Zangetsu had lost his last shred of patience and burst out, turning into Tensa Zangetsu in his frustration. His transformation successfully silenced the duo, as they knew it was never a good idea to make Tensa mad. Tensa then turned to Kisuke.

"We accept your offer, Kisuke. I'm sure Ichigo agrees with me." He said, glaring at Ichigo.

"Uh, yeah, of course." Ichigo hesitantly replied.

"Good, I'll get things ready. It should be finished by tomorrow. See you then!" With that, Kisuke faded from Ichigo's inner world, likely returning to his own. Ichigo left soon after, returning to the real world.

The last thought he had before he left was, 'I just hope this doesn't end in disaster.'


	2. Escape From The Inner World

The next day started with Yoruichi slamming open Ichigo’s window, startling him awake and making him fall onto the floor.  
  
“What are you doing here?” Ichigo shouted.  
  
“Kisuke wants to see you. He sent me because apparently, the red goo freaked you out last time.” Yoruichi replied with a smirk.  
  
“Fine, just give me a minute to get changed and I’ll be on my way.” Ichigo slammed the window shut, leaving Yoruichi sitting on the ledge outside. He grabbed an outfit then went to the bathroom to get changed. A few minutes later Ichigo walked out the front door and called Yoruichi off the roof.  
  
“Let’s go already so I can see what the insane ‘Idea Man’ wants.” She looked at him and smirked. “If you say so.”  
  
“Wait what are you-” Before he could finish, she had jumped down, grabbed the back of his shirt collar, and shunpo’d away. Seconds later, they appeared in front of Urahara Shoten, Yoruichi promptly dropping Ichigo on the ground and walking inside. He followed her in and Kisuke paused what he was doing to turn and greet them.  
  
“Welcome, Ichigo. Are you ready to bring Zangetsu and your Hollow out?” He asked, walking over to Ichigo.  
  
“Not really, but sure.” Without warning, Kisuke lifted his cane and hit Ichigo in the head, causing the Shinigami to fall out of his body. He didn’t even get to protest before Kisuke was talking again.  
  
“I need you to meditate with Zangetsu and your Hollow, and manifest them. They will then use these gigai’s that I specially made to keep them manifested and appear human.”  
  
“Fine.” Ichigo sat down with Zangetsu across his lap and focused on his blade. After a few minutes, he synchronised enough with his blade to enter his inner world.  
  
“Hey Zangetsu.” Ichigo greeted. Then he frowned at the spirits. “I’m still not happy about this idea, but we’ll give it a try.”  
  
 **“What, you don’t trust me?”** Shiro appeared offended, then smirked at Ichigo’s flat reply.  
  
“No, I don’t. So just get out there before I change my mind about letting you out.” Ichigo snapped.  
  
All three were suddenly pulled back into the real world, and Ichigo opened his eyes to see the spirits standing in front of him, about to enter their gigai's. Then in a quick flash of blue light, they were in them. They paused for a moment to examine their new forms.  
  
Zangetsu had taken on his younger appearance, and was wearing a black leather jacket over a white shirt, dark blue jeans, and black boots. He still had his sunglasses, but he took them off and hung them from his shirt collar. Shiro had a denim jacket over a black shirt, with regular jeans and gray shoes. Shiro’s physical appearance had also changed somewhat. He had a normal skin color, and while his eyes were still a golden yellow, they no longer had the black sclera.  
  
 **“Eh, this thing is hard ta move in. How do you humans stand it?”** Shiro complained, stretching his arms to get a feel for the body.  
  
“It’s fine. It’s just harder for you to move now that you’re in a physical form instead of spirit form.” Ichigo replied. “You’ll get used to it.”  
  
 **“That’s not gonna stop me from having some fun though.” Shiro said with a grin. “I’m gonna go check out what powers I still have and see what I can do with them. See ya round, King!”** Shiro disappeared in a flash of sonido, leaving everyone staring at the spot he had been standing. Ichigo was the one to break the silence.  
  
“Great, he’s already disappeared.” Ichigo sighed. “Now I have to go find him before he freaks on someone.”  
  
Zangetsu interrupted. “Not quite, Ichigo. I can tell where he has gone, as we were originally one being.” Ichigo just looked at Zangetsu with an ‘Are you serious?’ look.  
  
“Fine then. You keep track of him, just make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone.”  
  
“Of course.” Zangetsu vanished with his own shunpo, no doubt tracking the Hollow down.  
  
“Well, if that’s all taken care of, I should get going too. I had promised to meet up with the others in Soul Society so we could train with some other Shinigami.” Ichigo stated.  
  
“Ah, are you going to be training with the 11th today?” Kisuke asked.  
  
“Are you crazy ?! Of course not, they’re all nuts! We’re just going to be training with Shunsui and Ukitake. They’ve been wanting to train with us cause it’s been 17 months since any of us has been there.” Ichigo stated.  
  
“Alright, no need to get so worked up now. I’ll open the senkaimon whenever you are ready.”  
  
“Just do it now and let the others through when they get here.” Ichigo snapped. Kisuke leapt through the trapdoor to the underground training room and went over to power up the senkaimon. Ichigo jumped through the portal as soon as it opened, and went on his way to Soul Society.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Down by the river, Shiro was sitting in a tree watching the fish swim by. He noticed how they flashed in the sunlight, kinda like how swords flashed in battle. Nobody noticed he was there because he had left his gigai at Ichigo’s house so he could use his powers freely, as well as being invisible to most people. After a while though he grew bored, and, not even bothering to use the bridge, he simply jumped across the river to start wandering off. However, before he could get too far away from Karakura Town, he felt Zangetsu’s reiatsu approaching. Fast. He increased his pace to sonido, when suddenly he crashed into something.  
  
**“Oww…”** Shiro looked up from his position on the ground to see what he had hit, only to find Zangetsu standing in front of him. He had smashed his face on the sword Zangetsu was holding in front of him, in just the right spot to hit Shiro in the face.  
  
“I do not believe you have been given permission to leave the town.” Zangetsu stated.  
  
**“I can do whatever I want now that I’m not stuck in that stupid sideways world.”** Shiro retorted.  
  
“Hollow, you will either come back willingly or I will force you.” Zangetsu was starting to get irritated, which was never a good thing. Shiro knew this, but still refused.  
  
**“Guess I’ll just have to beat my way a thinkin’ inta ya!”** He shouted.  
  
Zangetsu sighed. “Let’s just get this over with.” Shiro immediately drew his sword and went to ban-kai, knowing that shi-kai would be nowhere near enough. However, he had failed to realize that Zangetsu, being a Zanpakuto spirit, could make the sword disappear, just as he could make it appear. And that is exactly what he did. The sword in Shiro’s hands dissolved into dust, and when he looked back up, it was too late.  
  
Zangetsu’s fist met Shiro’s head, effectively knocking him out. He picked up the unconscious Hollow and shunpo’d back to Ichigo’s house.  
  
Returning him to his gigai, which was lying lifeless on the bed, Zangetsu clipped a small bracelet to his wrist. The device came from, of course, , who had expected the Hollow to discard the gigai. Zangetsu decided to just leave it, and let Shiro figure it out for himself. Sitting in the desk chair, he leaned back and decided to just wait for something to happen. He didn't have to wait for long before Shiro stirred, waking up and holding a hand to his head.  
  
**“Was it really necessary ta knock me out? I mean, really. Even if I didn't want ta come back, there must’ve been a better way to get me back here.”** Shiro complained.  
  
“Maybe not. But it was by far the easiest way, considering who I was dealing with.” Zangetsu replied. “You really shouldn't cause trouble so soon after Ichigo let us manifest ourselves out here. Or else he may try to send you back, and I will not stop him again if he does so for a valid reason.”  
  
Shiro lay there for a long moment, just staring at the ceiling. Then he sighed and sat up, looking at the other spirit.  
  
**“Fine. I’ll be good for now, but that's not to say I won't try something again at some point.”**  
  
Zangetsu gave a small smile. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


A few hours later, Ichigo and the others had returned from Soul Society. When Ichigo got home, he had been given a quick explanation of what happened earlier. Now he was currently in the middle of arguing with his Hollow side. Shiro was still ticked off that he had been brought back, and Ichigo was chewing him out for leaving in the first place. After losing the argument, Shiro turned away, sulking and Ichigo dropped himself on his bed.  
  
“Don’t know why I let that stupid hollow out in the first place.” Ichigo muttered.  
  
“Stop complaining Ichigo, what’s done is done. And you really do need to give him more of a chance. It’s barely been a day.” Zangetsu replied.  
  
“Speaking of being a day, the day’s almost over. Where is he going to stay? I'm not sure how I feel about him hanging out here tonight.” Ichigo abruptly changed the subject, tired of fighting. “Apparently, had this all thought out. Maybe we should go see what he had set up.”  
  
Shiro jumped in with his opinion, **“Are you crazy? There’s no way I’m gonna go back to that mad scientist guy!”** ****  
  
“Yes, you will. If you don’t want to come, I will have to force you. Do you want a repeat of this morning?” Zangetsu glared at him, making his point.  
  
**“Fine, no guarantee I’m gonna stay there though.”**  
  
“We should get going before Dad and my sisters get back from wherever they went.” Ichigo said.  
  
“I will take him back to Urahara Shoten. You can stay here, Ichigo.”  
  
“All right. Thanks Zangetsu.”  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


By the time they made it to the Shoten, Zangetsu was practically dragging Shiro behind him. Upon arriving, he immediately took Shiro to Kisuke, pulling him along by the wrist.  
  
“I’ve brought him here to spend the night, as you requested.” Zangetsu stated.  
  
“Alright then. I’ll take him to his room.” Kisuke replied. The hollow was surprisingly quiet, silently sulking to himself. Zangetsu left to go back to Ichigo, and Kisuke had grabbed hold of Shiro’s wrist and was now leading him down the hall.  
  
“Here is your room where you will be staying for tonight. Where you spend the next few nights will depend on your behavior.” Kisuke said. Shiro just glared at him, his bad mood further dropping. Pretty soon, he would likely get destructive, and knew he was going to be the first target. He would just have to make sure that didn’t happen. Leaving Shiro in his room, Kisuke shut the door, and activated the barrier. Sure enough, the shouting and crashing started, continuing well into the night until things eventually got quiet.  
  
“Must have worn himself out.” Kisuke commented idly. Then he himself went to bed, deciding to forget about the hollow until morning.  
  



	3. Exploration

The next morning, Kisuke had gotten up early. He needed to figure out what he was going to do for food for Shiro, seeing as he was no longer feeding off Ichigo's energy. Being a hollow, human food would not do anything for him, unless it was full of spirit energy. That gave him what he thought was a great idea. Surely, Uryū and his father wouldn't mind him 'borrowing' a few of their Gintō capsules. They should be more than enough reiatsu for the hollow, probably even needing to be diluted a bit. He would send Yoruichi for some later. Right now though, he needed to check on Shiro.

Heading down the hall, he heard the others starting to wake up. Now standing in front of Shiro's room, he heard nothing at all. Judging from the noise last night, the room was likely to be completely destroyed. He deactivated the barrier, opened the door, and was only mildly shocked at what he saw. To say the least, it looked like a massive bomb had gone off. The little furniture that had been in the room had been smashed, the walls, floor and ceiling all had cracks and even what looked like burn marks, as if Shiro had managed to use some of his powers.

In one corner, Shiro had salvaged the remains of the bed, just a blanket and pillows, and shoved it all together to make his own bed. It was all in a pile with Shiro lying face down on top of it, head resting on his crossed arms. Seeing as how he was still asleep, Kisuke figured it was his job to wake him up. He walked over to Shiro and started poking his head with the non-separating end of his cane.  
"Go away, Getsu." Shiro groaned. Kisuke smirked, raised his cane, and brought it down on the floor with a sharp 'Crack!'. The noise made Shiro jump and fall off his makeshift bed.

"Rise and shine!" Kisuke sang.

**"Dang it Kisuke! What was that for?!"**  Shiro snapped.

"It was time for you to get up. I already sent Yoruichi to get Ichigo. He'll be taking you around town today, seeing as how yesterday didn't go well with you going on your own."

**"And what makes you think today will go any better? I can get away from Ichigo whenever I want to."**

"I'm sure that won't be an issue. Zangetsu-San will be going with you and will know if you try to get away."

**"That's right. Zangetsu and I are linked, dang it."**  Just then, Yoruichi appeared in the doorway with a tired looking Ichigo, and Zangetsu in his younger form.

"Yoruichi, it's way too early to be up. Why couldn't you have waited a bit longer?" Ichigo complained.

"Because it is too nice a day to just sleep all day. You should be out doing something." Yoruichi replied.

"Isn't that what cats do though? Just find somewhere comfortable then sleep all day?" Ichigo asked.

"..."

"...right. Never mind." Ichigo looked at Shiro. "You ready to go?"

**"Yeah, let's get going before hat n' clogs does something else."**  Shiro walked off down the hall, Tensa following close behind. Ichigo looked at Kisuke.

"What did you do to him?" He asked. Kisuke flicked his fan open and grinned.  
"Oh, nothing much. I just locked him in his room last night and gave him a wakeup call this morning."

"You know what, never mind. I'd better get going." Ichigo then dashed away to catch up with the other two.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Seeing Ichigo leave, Kisuke turned to Yoruichi. "I need you to run one more errand for me. Can you get me some of Uryū's Gintō? I have some things to do that require a few of those."

"Sure. See ya later." And with that, Yoruichi took off.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Ichigo caught up with the two spirits as they were walking out the main gate. He looked around, thinking of where they could go. Suddenly, he smirked and glanced over at the hollow. He'd see just how well Shiro could fight without his powers. "Let's go this way. I have an idea."

A short walk later found the three in front of the dojo where Tatsuki trained. They walked in to see Tatsuki training by herself with her Sensei.

"Hey Tatsuki! I brought a friend that wants a match with you." Ichigo called.  
"Hey Ichigo. Nice to see ya. So who did you bring me to train with?" Tatsuki replied.

"Oh, he already knows how to fight. He just wanted to go a round with ya." Ichigo turned to Shiro. "Go on Shiro. Let's see you have a go." Watching the exchange, Shiro had become increasingly nervous. Normally, someone like her would be no problem. But in his gigai, he was only human, and still not completely used to the fake body. He had also found out during his fit last night that the bracelet forced him to stay in his gigai, and severely restricted his powers. He was snapped out of his thoughts when Ichigo pushed him forward and went to stand off to the side with Tensa.

**"Hey!"**  Shiro started to protest, but was cut off by Tatsuki coming at him. She aimed a punch at his head and he narrowly dodged it. He jumped back a bit then lunged back towards her, trying to get a hit in. She caught his fist, grabbed his arm, and threw him over her back all in one motion. He landed upside down, leaning against the wall. He righted himself and flew back at her. Tatsuki dodged and spun as Shiro flew by, kicking the back of his knee and making him collapse. Tatsuki came over and stepped on his back.

"Are you done already? I thought you wanted to fight, not just dance around." Tatsuki taunted.

**"Get off! I'm not done yet!"**  Shiro twisted around and pulled her leg, causing her to stumble and fall herself. He jumped up and settled back into position as Tatsuki did the same. Shiro ran forward and attempted to hit her with a roundhouse kick. Tatsuki grabbed his foot and yanked it, pulling his front leg straight out. Still not used to the stiffness of the gigai, it hurt pretty bad stretching like that. In fact, he felt a muscle strain and cramp, and he fell over pulling his leg close, straining against the intense pain.

**"Hold it! I give!"**  Shiro shouted. Tatsuki had stopped to observe Shiro while Tensa had rushed forward to see what had happened, sensing extreme pain coming from Shiro. Ichigo had also rushed over.

"Can you move your leg, Shiro?" Tensa asked worriedly.

**"Noo…."**  Shiro moaned.

"We'd better get him back to my house so my dad can see what happened." Ichigo said.

"Hey, is he okay?" Tatsuki asked.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. We'll just have my dad check him real quick." Ichigo replied. "Sorry Tatsuki, I'll see you later."

Tensa had started to haul Shiro to his feet, and Ichigo stepped in so he was supported on either side. Shiro held his leg up, being careful not to let it move too much.

"Let's get him outside, Zangetsu. I know how we can get him back quickly." Ichigo suggested. They walked outside and sat on the step. Ichigo then pulled out his substitute badge.

"I'm going to take my body and your gigai and drop them off at my house. You follow with flash step before anybody realizes." Ichigo pressed his badge against his chest, then tossed it to Tensa who did the same thing. He grabbed the bodies before they fell and flash stepped home. He gave Tensa his gigai as he appeared next to him. They walked in the front door and went into the clinic, setting Shiro up on the exam table.

Shiro glared at Ichigo.  **"And why was it a good idea to have me fight when I didn't have any powers?"**

Ichigo ignored him and instead called out, "Hey dad! We've got a patient in here!" A few seconds later, Isshin rushed in pulling on his doctor coat with Yuzu following him.

"What happened here?" He asked.

Shiro opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by Tensa. "We were sparring, but Shiro fell over and grabbed his leg while we were training. He couldn't walk, so we brought him right over to be examined."

"Of course. Shiro is it? Can you pull up your pant leg and explain what the pain feels like?" Isshin prompted.

**"Uh, sure."**  Shiro pulled his loose jeans up to reveal a purplish swelling on the back of his lower leg. "I stretched it too far and felt a sharp pain in the back of my leg. It still hurts and I can't really move it."

"Hmm..." After examining the injury for a minute, he called Yuzu over, rattling off a list of things he needed. Yuzu dashed off to retrieve the items while the three teens sat stunned. Shiro was really hurt?

Isshin started explaining what had happened. "You have strained your muscle. It is not as bad as it could be, but still not pretty. It needs time to recover, meaning you will need to be resting to avoid further straining your injury." Just then, Yuzu came back in with all the supplies. She gave Shiro some painkillers and told him to take it. She also handed him a water bottle then gave the rest of the stuff to Isshin.

He took the bandages and started wrapping up the injury to keep pressure on it and keep it somewhat firm and stable. Securing the bandage, Isshin took a step back and addressed Shiro.

"That's it. Just go easy on it and be careful. If it's really sore just take some painkillers. Other than that, you're good to go." Isshin helped Shiro stand and backed away when Tensa came to support Shiro.

"They were actually going to hang out over here today and spend the night, so we'll just head up to my room." Ichigo suddenly spoke up. They left the exam room and helped Shiro up the steps to Ichigo's room. They sat Shiro on the bed and Ichigo went downstairs to get another spare mattress. He brought it up and set it next to the mattress Tensa had used.

The rest of the day seemed to drag on. Shiro slept, probably the painkillers knocked him out, and Ichigo and Tensa talked. That night Ichigo called Kisuke to let him know Shiro would be staying with him overnight. Ichigo and Tensa ended up on the mattresses because when Ichigo tried to wake up Shiro and get him to move, he started going on about why couldn't people just leave him alone and threatening to hurt them if they didn't let him sleep. Even drugged up on painkillers, Shiro was ready to hurt someone. And so, Shiro ended up with the bed.

"I'm sure he'll have a good night's sleep. After all, he took my bed." With that comment, Ichigo rolled over and went to sleep.


	4. Going to School

It took about a week for Shiro to fully heal, and he had slept most of the time. Tensa had stayed at the house most of the time to keep an eye on Shiro while Ichigo was at school. Kon spent most of the time hiding in the closet, afraid of the ticked off Hollow. Ichigo has brought Orihime over at one point to see if she could do anything, but she couldn't heal what she couldn't see, with it not being an open wound. At least Shiro's advanced healing wasn't completely blocked by his gigai.

When the week was up, Shiro was at Ichigo even more to make up for being stuck at home. Kisuke had also given Tensa something when he had gone over so he could make sure the gigai was working properly. Apparently, it was for Shiro, should he have the need to consume spirit energy. When asked, the only reply had been, "Ask Ishida. He will know. Hope he didn't mind sharing it!" Having that boost while still resting, he also had a lot of energy that he needed to burn off. That was good for the Hollow, not so good for Ichigo…

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

After a week of sleeping on the floor, taking care of Shiro, and still having to go to school, Ichigo wanted to go off on his own for a while. So he got out of bed, got dressed, and snuck out the front door before the others got up. It was still really early, so not many places were open yet. After aimlessly wandering around for awhile, he ended up in the park where he had first defended a spirit. He sat on a bench, just watching things go by.

It was amazing how his life had gone from being fairly normal (minus the seeing ghosts part), to living a double life and all the chaos that came with it. From invading a spirit world to rescue his friend, to dealing with his own inner hollow. What was even stranger, was that after he had gotten his powers back from the Fullbring incident, he had gradually started to work together with his Hollow. They by no means trusted each other, even after everything that had happened during the Winter War.

But Ichigo had not bothered to suppress the Hollow again, and had even given him the nickname Shirosaki, which had quickly been shortened to simply Shiro. Honestly, it still amazed Ichigo that they got along at all. They would even fight occasionally in their inner world just for the fun of it, and Shiro, (usually) didn't get too rough with the fight, unless both of them wanted to go all out.

The rising sun distracted him from his thoughts, and he sighed. He would have to be heading home soon to get ready for school, whether he felt like going or not. Standing up and stretching, he walked around the park before heading back. When he got home, however, the two spirits were nowhere to be found. Going back downstairs, he found Yuzu in the kitchen making breakfast. Deciding to just worry about the spirits later, he went to see if Yuzu needed help. Oh, how he would come to regret that.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

By the time Ichigo got to school, he still didn't know where Shiro or Tensa were. He ignored Keigo, who was shouting something about new students, and went to his seat. The teacher walked in and told everyone to sit down and be quiet. "Good morning! Today we have two new students who will be joining us." She went back over to the door and stepped out. When she came back in, Ichigo was shocked. Behind her was Shiro and Tensa.

He focused back on the teacher when she started talking again. "These young men are Shiro and Tensa Kurosaki. They are Ichigo Kurosaki's twin and younger brother." She then turned to Shiro and Tensa.

"Please sit in the back next to your brother." Shiro sat next to Ichigo, and Tensa sat behind them to keep an eye on the two. Tensa participated in class, which was rather surprising, and Shiro had been quiet and staring at nothing, which was worrying.

During lunch break, Keigo harassed the trio, while a few others had come over to ask about Ichigo's 'brothers'. His closer friends didn't ask much, but he did receive a nasty look from Uryu, who had clearly made the connection between Ichigo and his look alike.

The rest of the day passed fairly quickly, and the walk home was uneventful. At least, until Shiro spoke up.

**"Oi, King."**

"What, Shiro? And don't call me that in public. People will think we're weird."

" **We are weird, so that don't exactly bother me."**

"Well, it bothers me, so don't do it."

" **Fine, whatever."**

"So what did you want?"

" **How long ya gonna keep us manifested?"**

Ichigo shrugged. "Don't know. Hadn't really thought about it much. Why?"

Shiro looked at the sky.  **"Just wondering."**

"Not. Seriously, why?"

" **Nothin."**

"WHY?"

**"Jeez, you're so stubborn."**

"Just like you. Now tell me."

 **"..."**  Shiro was clearly hesitant to talk, but eventually voiced his thoughts.  
 **"I really enjoy being here. There's so many things to learn and do, it's so much different than being in our world all the time."**

Ichigo felt slightly guilty at Shiro's words. His inner world was admittedly not very interesting, and he rarely talked with or visited his spirits. It must have been very confining, being stuck there with only one other spirit for company.  
"So I guess this is really a big deal for both of you then." Ichigo said.

There was no reply as they all fell quiet, and walked the rest of the way home in silence. When Ichigo opened the door, he and Shiro stepped out of the way, leaving Tensa to deal with a flying Isshin. Tensa punched him to the floor, then threw him out the door. They went upstairs to find a note on Ichigo's door. It was from Kisuke and read, "Seeing as how none of you have been back for a week, I am assuming that Zangetsu and Shirosaki are staying at your place. So I made a few modifications for you! There is a Reiatsu sensor in the light switch panel. See what happens when you activate it!"

Instead of a signature at the bottom, there was a picture of Kisuke's hat. Ichigo tore the note down and opened the door. Shiro flipped the switch and put some Reiatsu into the panel. A soft 'click' was heard and a trapdoor in the ceiling opened up. Shiro went up first, jumping up into the ceiling. Having spent a week in his gigai, his soul form had synced up with it and he had a good part of his mobility back. Ichigo and Tensa followed shortly after. The attic space that had been above Ichigo's room had been cleared out and redone to make a hidden bedroom.

There was enough room to stand up, because part of the ceiling had been rebuilt. There were two beds with fold-away desks and storage space in the headboard. There was another note laying on one of the beds. "This room is for Shirosaki and Zangetsu. I was sure you wouldn't mind the remodeling if they're going to be staying for a while." This time his fan was on the paper.

"He managed to get the whole attic rebuilt into a bedroom in just a few hours?" Ichigo shook his head in disbelief. The man was crazy. At least he wouldn't have to share his room with them anymore.


	5. Confrontations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains info from the Blood War Arc about Shiro and Ossan's true identities.

Ichigo woke the next morning to the feeling of rising spiritual power. By the time he got up, it was an almost crushing force. Panicking, he immediately used his badge to free himself from his body, and find the source of the energy.

Surprisingly, it was right above his house. Flying up, he saw Shiro was standing against Rukia and Renji, and Zangetsu was watching from the side. Renji had shi-kai released, but it didn't look like anyone had attacked yet. However, things could easily turn nasty very quickly at this rate.

"Hey! What's going on here?!" Ichigo shouted.

"Oi, Ichigo! We're just dealing with this Hollow, we've been trying to track him down since earlier this morning. Do you have any explanation for us, seeing how he has your Zanpakuto?" Rukia demanded.

Ichigo went over to stand in front of Shiro, hand reaching for his Zanpakuto.  
"Don't touch him." Ichigo warned.

 **"King. Scram. I can handle these guys alone."**  Shiro snapped. Ichigo then turned to him.

"I told you not to call me that in front of other people. And I'd rather not deal with a fight right now." He turned back to the Shinigami.

"Shiro is not a regular Hollow. He's not hurt anyone, and he's not causing any trouble."

Rukia lowered her sword and marched up to him, poking him in the chest. "He's still a Hollow! We can't have him freely roaming around!"

"As far as I'm concerned, he's not a Hollow anymore." Ichigo stated, his voice strangely calm.

"Why do you protect him?" Huh. This seemed to be going the same direction as the conversation with Muramasa.

"Cause he's a part of me and that's all that matters at the moment. Whether he's a Hollow or anything else is irrelevant." There was a long silence. Then…

"Are you insane?!"

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Ichigo was now in his room, along with Shiro, Zangetsu, and the Shinigami. All of them were glaring at Ichigo, except Zangetsu, who was glaring at the Shinigami. Rukia probably thought he was an idiot, Renji and Shiro had been spoiling for a fight, and Zangetsu thought all the Shinigami were idiots.

Renji broke the tense silence. "So, uh, why exactly are you keeping a Hollow again?"

Shiro butted in before Ichigo could reply.  **"Cause I'm his Inner Hollow. That bastard Kisuke found a way to keep us manifested, so we've been hangin' around in the world of the living for a bit."**

"And why are you letting him wander around freely? He's still a Hollow!" Rukia asked.

"He hasn't hurt anybody and he seems to be doing just fine. I don't see what the problem is." Ichigo replied.

"The problem is, Ichigo, that he is a Hollow!" Rukia was almost shouting, irritated by his stubbornness.

"As far as I'm concerned, he may as well be a Zanpakuto spirit for all I care. He's a manifested spirit made from my power." Renji looked ready to argue again, but Rukia stopped him.

"Ichigo. The manifested spirits will be okay for a while, but if Soul Society notices, we'll be forced to do something about it."

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Ichigo assured her.

"I guess if you understand, then we're finished here." With that, the two Shinigami stood and shunpo'd away. With a sigh, Ichigo turned to Shiro and Zangetsu.

"So… why were you guys starting a fight anyways? And why didn't you stop them, Zangetsu?"

"I felt no need to intervene."

"Why not? They were on the verge of fighting! Right in the middle of town!"

"Even if a fight had broken out, Zan- Shiro would have been fine." Ichigo ignored the slip-up in favor of bugging the spirits.

"Are you sure about that? Rukia and Renji are both lieutenants! Plus he's a Hollow! He could have been killed!" Zangetsu and Shiro looked at each other.

**"Should we tell him?"**

"We might as well. It's been long enough and I believe he's proven himself."

Ichigo broke in, "What are you guys talking about?"

Zangetsu replied, "Ichigo. Have you ever noticed that every time you lose and regain your powers, your Shinigami uniform and Zanpakuto change?"

"Yeah, course I noticed." Ichigo replied, confused about the strange question.  
"Have you ever wondered why?"

"Well yeah, but-"

Shiro's limited patience snapped.  **"Oh, come on. Cut it out with the trivia questions! He's not Zangetsu, I am! That guy,"**  He pointed at the other spirit,  **"is called Juha Bach! He's a Quincy manifestation! The reason your power kept changing is because he was controlling how much power you could use, and you kept unlocking more of your true power each time you regained them. Now,"**  he grinned wildly,  **"since you know that now, we may as well unlock the rest of it, right?"**

Ichigo, however, was not happy with the explanation. "What?! So you've been lying about this the whole time? And why would he be a Quincy manifestation?!"

Shiro's expression turned annoyed now.  **"Yeah, but we told you now, didn't we? I'll explain the rest when you wake up."**

"Wha-" Ichigo started to protest, but stopped, as the spirits had both started to glow. Abruptly, they disappeared, and Ichigo felt intense pain as his soul underwent the final, and biggest change of all. Then he blacked out and collapsed as the transformation continued.


	6. Teachings and Revelations

Ichigo woke up with a pounding headache and aching muscles. When he opened his eyes, everything was blurry. Closing his eyes again, he lay there trying to remember what happened. Being unsuccessful, he opened his eyes again to find that things were much clearer this time, though still spinning slightly. Trying to get up, he immediately fell right back down. Focusing on his aching body rather than the spinning room, he realized he was on his bedroom floor. His body felt light, so he was in spirit form. And it felt like Zangetsu was on his back, but a bit heavier.  
  
There was also a smaller weight on his hip. Once more attempting to stand, he succeeded and stood to get a better look at himself. The weight on his hip turned out to be a short blade with a handle inside it. The weight on his back was also a blade, a bit larger than Zangetsu, but longer and narrower, more of an actual sword shape. It had a long narrow hole in the center, and both blades were completely black. His power was also more of the red and black of his bankai, instead of the blue and white of his shikai.  
  
He went to the bathroom to look in the mirror. His uniform had changed again, along with the swords. It no longer had the thick black X straps across the open front. It once again resembled a typical Shinigami uniform, but had a large white X across the chest. He took another moment to look at himself before voicing his thoughts.  
  
"The heck is all this?!"  
  
The sound of Shiro,(Zangetsu now, he realized), laughing at him shook him out of his shock.  
  
 **"What do you mean, what's this? This is our real power!"** Shiro responded.  
  
"I know that! I was just surprised." Ichigo retorted defensively. He returned to his room and dropped into his inner world. Upon entry, Shiro immediately lunged at him, no sword, and playfully pushed him to the ground. Completely unprepared, he easily fell, but jumped right back up. For a moment, he looked angry, but then he smirked and charged at Shiro. They went into a full out wrestling match, going until they were both exhausted, no clear winner. They flopped to the ground, panting.  
  
Ichigo was the first to speak after getting his breath back. "So, why didn't you guys release my full power to begin with?"  
  
Shiro looked over before replying. **"Isn't it obvious? Because our power is so huge that it would have killed us. Each time you lost and regained your power, I released some more of our power. Your body had to adapt to more power every time. By now, your body was adjusted enough to handle it."**  
  
"Oh." At this, Ichigo relaxed a bit and closed his eyes, enjoying the warm sun and light breeze of his inner world.  
  
Ichigo woke to a sharp pain in his side. Shifting, the pressure momentarily faded but then hit him again. Opening his eyes, he was on his back with Shiro staring down at him, Shiro's foot in Ichigo's side. Forgetting where he was, he jumped to his feet.  
  
"What are you doing here?!" Ichigo exclaimed.  
  
Shiro gave him an 'are you serious' expression and said, **"Why do you think I'm here? You're still in your inner world moron. Now get out. You have to go to school."**  
  
"What? It was only afternoon when I came here!"  
  
" **People always pass out after they first activate Shi-kai. You just did that earlier. Ours took more power than a release normally does, so you fell asleep again to make up for the extra power used. You slept the rest of the day and all night. Now shoo, you're gonna be late."**  
  
Ichigo listened to him go on. Shiro was trying to be annoyed, but couldn't seem to manage it. He stared at Ichigo until he left. Sighing, Shiro wondered just how much would change now that Ichigo knew the truth.  
  



	7. Fluffy and Dangerous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kasai: A wild or uncontrollable fire. This will make sense later.

Ichigo was standing in the hall after school, trying to not get a headache. His teacher was giving him a lecture about being late to school, cutting classes, and the like. And she was really getting into it too. She'd been going on for a good fifteen minutes, and Ichigo just wanted to leave. At the moment of that thought, his substitute badge went off. Great. Now he had a hollow to deal with too. And as far as he knew, none of the other Shinigami were in the area.  
  
With a "Sorry, gotta go" he was running down the hall, hoping his teacher wouldn't be to mad and try to lecture him again later. He left his body in a storage closet and Shunpo'd to where the Hollow was. But it wasn't at all what he expected.  
  
It was a Hollow yes, but it looked so much like a cat, and such a cute one, that he didn't want to hurt it. It was super fluffy, and a bright, fiery orange with white paws and chest, and it's mask was more of a tiara, resting on top of her head. She had large, golden yellow eyes, which looked up at him at it meowed at him. He got the feeling from Shiro that even he thought it was kinda cute. Until she walked over to chew on the tip of Zangetsu's sheath, then clawed her way up to Ichigo's shoulder to chew on the handle, then on his hair.  
  
"Oi! Get off!" Ichigo shouted as he tried to get the cat off, only to suppress a yelp as the cat dug its claws in further. As he was fighting with the cat, Shiro was cracking up laughing at him. Finally he managed to grab its scruff with one hand, and remove the claws one by one with his other hand. He had a silent glaring contest with the cat hanging by her scruff, before the cat's irritation seemed to disappear and it meowed pitifully. With a sigh, he let her ride on his shoulder as he went home after retrieving his body.  
  
He had given her some fish, which was gone in under a minute, then it had fallen asleep on his bed. Ichigo looked back at the textbook sitting on his desk, trying to focus on his homework. But he was to distracted. First Shiro, now a Hollow cat, the others would have a fit. And how was he supposed to take care of her? Nobody could see her, and he wasn't about to ask Kisuke for a gigai for her. He would have gotten no end of grief for it.  
  
The next day, Ichigo went to school with an invisible orange cat following him. Most of the people couldn’t see her, but there was still many who could. Orihime of course thought it was adorable. Uryū had teased him about it. His other spiritually aware friends merely gave him curious glances. And Rukia _just happened_ to be there that day. She also thought the cat was cute, but she was clearly keeping an eye on it. When lunch break came, Rukia started asking questions. "I got a Hollow report yesterday, and it seems that Hollow was never taken care of. What was that about?"  
  
"How should I know? I took care of every Hollow I found." Ichigo replied while avoiding her gaze.  
  
"Took care of how, exactly?" She pressed.  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
“Stop avoiding the question! Tell me, why does that cat have spirit energy?” Rukia burst out.  
  
"Well... It's kinda a Hollow, but it's more of a cat than a Hollow. It ate some spirit energy from me and Zangetsu when I found it, but it's been behaving since. And I couldn't get it to stay at home. It keeps following me around."  
  
"You better not keep taking in Hollows. Seireitei will not be happy about this, and will send someone to deal with the issue."  
  
"Yeah, yeah. I get it. I won't do anything stupid."  
  
Rukia just sighed and walked away. The cat came over and sat on his lap, and started taking nibbles of food from his lunch. He reached over to move his lunchbox away, but the cat smacked his hand away. He tried again. And again.  
  
"Kasai, stop it! It's not even yours, you stupid ball of fur!" Kasai hissed at him, took one last bite of food, then hopped off his lap and sat behind him.  
  
"Great. Now she's mad at me. She acts like a spoiled brat." He muttered.  
  
 **"She is a spoiled brat, King."**  
  
Ichigo jumped, because the voice was not inside his head. It was behind him. He turned to see Shiro petting Kasai, the cat sitting in his arms. And Shiro was in his gigai.  
  
"Why are you here?!" Ichigo nearly shouted.  
  
 **"I figured out how to manifest after releasing our full power, and I wanted to try it out. Seems it worked. As for the gigai, it must have just come with me when I went back to your inner world."**  
  
"And why did you come out?"  
  
 **"Cause I wanted ta bug ya."**  
  
"I kinda figured."  
  
 **"Then why'd ya ask?"**  
  
"Forget it. Why don't you just go back and quit bothering me?"  
  
 **"Fine."** Shiro dropped Kasai back in Ichigo's lap, and closed his eyes to focus. His form briefly faded partway, then became solid a few times before Shiro gave up.  
  
 **"I can't go back."**  
  
"Then how did you get out?"  
  
 **"I just did. I have no idea how."**  
  
Ichigo sighed. "We're right back where we were before."  
  
 **"Yep."**  
  
"Why me?"  
  
 **"Cause you're a Quincy, Human, Shinigami, and Hollow. You're like a magnet for trouble."**  
  
"...Whatever happened to simply being a Visored?"  
  



	8. New Troubles

Shiro continued to go to school, and the cat had started following him more than Ichigo. Shiro liked the cat, but he would've rathered it follow Ichigo instead. Kasai would follow him everywhere, so they made sure that the cat’s gigai was left at home during the day. In class she would sit on his lap or try to climb onto his shoulder, he would quietly shove her off, and she would growl at him and try again. During lunch she would steal food from him or Ichigo, or raid a lunch that had been forgotten that morning. After school, she would disappear for a few hours, only to show up again at home right after dinner to raid the leftovers.  
  
Overall, the Hollow cat seemed pretty tame, and didn’t bother other spirits as long as she was able to feed from Ichigo or Shiro’s spiritual power. She had been seen by his sisters, but they had thought nothing of it since she was just another spirit to them. They left her alone, she left them alone. Kasai had adapted quickly to living with Ichigo, not even taking a day to settle in. He fed her, both food and reiatsu, and had given her a box stuffed with an old blanket to sleep in. It seemed like she had made herself at home, and it was proven true a day later.  
  
Ichigo had gone out for a bit after school, and Shiro, with nothing better to do, was currently sitting on Ichigo’s bed reading a book he had found, and Kasai was laying at the other end of the bed. It had been a pretty quiet afternoon, until they heard someone coming up the stairs. Thinking nothing of it, the other bedrooms were up here after all, Shiro ignored the noise. Kasai however, had perked her ears up and was watching the door. The steps stopped in front of their door, and Kasai gave a low growl, knowing it wasn't Ichigo on the other side from the lack of reiatsu. Shiro snapped his head up when he realized the same thing and the door was opened.  
  
He barely caught a glance of Yuzu with a laundry basket before Kasai had lept off the bed and put herself between Yuzu and Shiro. There was a person who was _not_ part of her pack intruding into a place she had claimed as _her_ territory. Protective over what she had claimed, Shiro was unable to stop her before she flared her reiatsu and grew several times her size. By the time he had come up behind Kasai, Yuzu had already dropped the basket and run down the stairs. Hearing the front door close, and Ichigo’s voice coming from downstairs, Shiro knew he only had a few minutes at most before Ichigo came up to interrogate him. Reaching up, Kasai was a rather large animal now, Shiro grabbed a tuft of fur behind her ear and pulled her down so she was on his level.  
  
 **“What was that about, you stupid cat?! She's one of the other humans that lives here! You know that!”** Shiro half shouted, trying to keep his voice down. He panicked slightly when he heard two sets of steps coming up the stairs, meaning Yuzu was with Ichigo.  
  
 **“Change back, now!”** Shiro demanded. There was a brief hesitation, then Kasai did as she was told. Grabbing the cat, Shiro disappeared into the hidden room right as Ichigo walked in with Yuzu right behind him.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Ichigo was met as he was walking in the front door by a crying Yuzu, saying something about a huge scary monster with glowing eyes in Ichigo’s room. Directing her to the living room while calming her down, he asked what happened.  
  
“I went in your room to put your laundry in there, and there was a big monster. It's eyes were glowing too. I dropped the basket when I ran out. Make sure it's gone Ichi!”  
  
“It's okay Yuzu. I'll go make sure it left, alright?”  
  
“Let me come with you!”  
  
“Sure.” Ichigo went up the steps to his room, Yuzu following him. Walking in and sweeping his gaze across the room, he noted the lingering energy, but didn't comment.  
  
“Well, whatever it was, it's gone now. Okay Yuzu?”  
  
“Yeah, I'm okay now.” Yuzu replied, though there was still some nervousness in her voice. “I need to go get dinner started. Karin should be back from soccer soon, and dad will probably be back soon too.” Ichigo sighed as he heard Yuzu going down the steps. Clearly, there had truly been something, for her to be that frightened, but he could also sense something too. Realizing the lingering energy went above him, he quickly ended up in the hidden room. Crossing his arms, Ichigo stared down Shiro and the cat hanging from his hand by its scruff.  
  
“Mind explaining what happened?”  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-   
  


The next day Byakuya visited, having been sent to investigate the multiple Hollow signatures that had been detected around Ichigo. Byakuya was clearly not pleased with the situation. He had confronted Ichigo as the substitute had been out on patrol, and they were now standing in an abandoned area of the park.  
  
“Kurosaki, you had been warned before about keeping Hollows around. Sou-Taichou has ordered that all Hollow's be purified immediately. I was sent to ensure those orders are followed, whether by you or myself.”  
  
“I know I was told before, but I'm still not going to do anything. Shiro can't figure out how to return to the inner world, and the other Hollow isn't hurting or bothering anybody. So I see no reason why I have to get rid of them.” Ichigo was getting edgy, not happy with the way this conversation was going.  
  
“Because it is a Shinigami’s job to eliminate Hollows, which is the exact opposite of what you are doing.”  
  
“I thought it was our job to protect souls, making it only necessary to kill a Hollow when it is a threat. These Hollows are not. Shiro is a part of me, and I accepted the responsibility of protecting those Hollows when I took them in. And by the way, they both have names.”  
  
Byakuya gave him one last look, then shunpo’d away. He felt his signature heading for Shiro, who was in a different part of town in his soul form. He had apparently left his gigai at Urahara’s Shop, deciding he didn't want to use it over the weekend and would get it before school Monday. He felt another signature heading to his house where the cat was. _‘Crap’_ Figuring Shiro could manage, he went into a shunpo towards the second signature. When he arrived, he was not expecting what he saw. Renji was stopped outside the house with a giant lion staring him down. It had the same fiery fur Kasai did, and getting closer, the same golden eyes and tiara shaped fragment.  
  
“Kasai, stop it!” Amazingly, this got a reaction from both of them. Renji flashed behind Ichigo to hide, and Kasai turned to look at him. ‘Those are some big fangs on that cat.’  
  
“Why are you here, Renji? And why is Kasai after you?”  
  
“You know this Hollow?!”  
  
“Yes. Why are you here?” Ichigo repeated.  
  
“I was told to deal with some cat like Hollow that had been sensed around here, but got stopped by that lion. Why do you know this Hollow?”  
  
“Her name is Kasai, and she’s kinda my pet right now.”  
  
“Pet? How is that thing a pet?”  
  
Ichigo ignored him to talk to Kasai. “Hey Kasai. It's alright now. He won't do anything to you. Come here.” Kasai hesitated for a moment before shrinking back to cat size, and jumping on his shoulder.  
  
He turned back to Renji. “Yep. Pet.”  
  
“But that thing almost attacked me!” Renji exclaimed. Kasai hissed at him.  
  
“No, she was keeping the house safe. You're a Shinigami she doesn't know, so you can't just expect her to be friendly to you.”  
  
Ichigo flashed away to where he sensed Shiro and Byakuya. It was hard to find them though, as their signatures were moving very quickly through the town, as if they were chasing each other. And that was exactly what was happening. Shiro was running from Byakuya, but that wasn't all, that strange. What was strange was that Byakuya didn't have a sword, but Shiro still had his, plus Senbonzakura. Shiro was grinning like he was having fun, and Byakuya was scowling, trying hard to catch up and retrieve his sword. All in all, it actually looked pretty funny. After a while though, Shiro began to slow down. He may be faster, but Byakuya had plenty of stamina and experience from chasing a certain cat. So Ichigo shunpo’d over, grabbed Senbonzakura from Shiro, and stood to face Byakuya.  
  
“Return my Zanpakuto.” Byakuya demanded.  
  
“Sure.” Ichigo casually agreed. “On one condition.”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
“Go back to Soul Society and tell sou-taicho to leave us alone.”  
  
There was a stunned pause, then, “You do realize that is suicidal.”  
  
“What's suicidal is you standing here arguing with me, while I have three swords and you have none. And by the way, I have Shiro and Kasai helping me too.” Byakuya glared at him, then the cat on his shoulder.  
  
“There is one other option Byakuya, but I don't think a noble like yourself would accept it. I will fight for anyone who falls under my protection, as long as they aren't causing any harm. You help me, I give your Zanpakuto back, and I'll help you with any trouble from Soul Society.”  
  
Byakuya took a moment to think about this. _‘He is going to do whatever it takes to protect them. Even though I am bound to Soul Society, he has shown me that some things are more important than the rules. He truly cares for these beings, that the Soul Society wants to destroy even though they have done no harm, and one is even a part of him. Nothing is worth destroying part of his soul.’_  
  
“I will join you Kurosaki. Make good on your promise to help me out of this mess you have gotten us into.”  
  
“Deal.” Ichigo handed the sword back, and Byakuya left. He felt another Senkaimon open nearby, and Renji’s reiatsu disappeared. Having rejoined Shiro and Kasai, he led them all home. On the way, he briefly felt somewhat sorry for Byakuya. That was not a report that anyone would want to give.  
  



	9. Evolution

The next day found Byakuya standing in his place in line at the captains meeting. He had spent the remainder of the previous night in reflecting on his and Ichigo’s conversation, and thinking about his own views of such matters, and come to some disturbing conclusions. He silently cursed Ichigo and Soul Society for getting him into this mess. The meeting had started and he had been asked to give his report. With a silent sigh, he stepped forward and began.  
  
“I had arrived in Karakura with Abari Fuku-Taicho, and sent him to deal with the Hollow cat while I confronted Kurosaki. We briefly talked before I went after the other Hollow. Kurosaki showed up again, and we argued before coming to an understanding. Abari and I then returned to Soul Society.” As Byakuya finished speaking, Yamamoto spoke up.  
  
“And what understanding did you come to, Kuchiki-Taicho?” He inquired.  
  
“That I am no longer a Captain in the Gotei 13.” As he spoke, he slipped off his Haori, and when he finished, he reached out his arm and dropped it as though it was a filthy rag, letting it flutter onto the ground in a tangled heap. The pressure in the room suddenly grew extremely heavy as Yamamoto glared at him.  
  
“Kuchiki. What is the meaning of this? Are you, a noble and a captain, turning traitor?” Head-Captain growled.  
  
“My discussion with Kurosaki has made me realize many things, and I have come to see things from his perspective. I have come to the realization that Soul Society is a corrupt system, that uses politics and power to enforce their position of control. Important decisions are practically made on a whim. They are not tolerant of change, and refuse to accept that things cannot remain the same, even as centuries, millennia, go by. We have stagnated, and cannot see that not all beings have such black and white definitions as they did centuries ago. Not all Shinigami are good, neither are all Hollows evil. Beings cannot be categorized so easily.  
  
“In terms of government, Aizen did us a favor in ridding us of the central 46, those fools who barred our ability to make progress, yet we have not taken hold of that advantage! New paths have been opened for us, yet we refuse to walk them! Why do we hold so steadfastly to such outdated tradition? Surely Kurosaki and his allies have shown us that our rules can be wrong, and in need of change. Kurosaki cares for these beings, because they are indeed different from what we consider Hollows to be, and they are of no threat to anyone. If we had just stopped for a moment, we would have realized this, and would not be making unnecessary enemies.  
  
“And what enemies have we made? We have cast out the Visored, who did nothing wrong but be caught in the crossfire of Aizen’s experiments! We have cast out Kisuke Urahara, who was wrongly condemned, and we knew it! We are making enemies of Ichigo Kurosaki, by attacking those under his protection, when they are causing no harm! Even worse, one of the beings we are attacking is a part of his soul! Losing a part of one's soul breaks whoever loses it, and is the worst type of pain! You are needlessly making enemies of allies, and for what reason?  
  
“Who are we to judge others, when our own society is in such disarray? We cannot even take care of our own Society's people, and yet we claim to be good enough to judge others who are not even of the Soul Society! It is such foolishness and arrogance that gave rise to Aizen! I WILL NOT BE PART OF SUCH A CORRUPT AND FOOLISH SYSTEM!!”  
  
The tension that had been building finally shattered as Byakuya lost his composure in his rage. Chaos erupted as swords were drawn and tempers flared. Byakuya quickly released his Zanpakuto to add to the confusion and, using the petals to create a cover, left as fast as he could. A distance away, he quickly opened a Senkaimon and hurried through, not noticing the small white captain following close behind.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-   
  


The same day in the World of the Living found Ichigo and Shiro in Urahara’s underground training base. Shiro was teaching Ichigo more about his powers, and what better way to do it then to literally pound it into him? So far they had gone over the different types of Getsugas, as well as Getsuga Jūjisho. Sonído had come easily, as it was simply Shunpo with Hollow Reiatsu. In fact, Ichigo had managed to mix Shunpo with Sonído to form an even faster technique he called Shundo. Now, all that was left was a few Hollow abilities. At that thought, Shiro smirked and paused the training session.  
  
**“Alright King. So far, we’ve made great progress. Now, all we gotta do is kick yer Hollow powers inta high gear. We’re gonna work on Cero and Bala, then we’re done. Now, take a guess as ta how that’s gonna go, King.”** Shiro stated with a smirk.  
  
“What is there to guess about? We’re going to still be fighting, right?” Ichigo questioned.  
  
**“Call it a fight if ya want, but I think this is gonna be more of a one sided beat down ‘nless ya figure them out real quick. Ya can only use yer Hollow powers and swords, no Shunpo or Getsuga. But, to make it easier for ya, I’ll only use Cero and Bala to shoot ya.”** Shiro stated.  
  
“How’s that going to make it any easier?! You can still shoot me, but I won’t have anything to fight back with until I learn Cero!” Ichigo complained.  
  
**“Oh, it makes it easier for ya alright King. It gives ya an example to follow!”** Shiro exclaimed, drawing a horned mask and shooting a Bala straight at Ichigo to get the fight started.  
  
Ichigo quickly blocked with his blade, and dodged to the side, summoning his own white mask with crimson stripes on one side. Attempting to make the most of his swords, he closed the distance quickly and tried to slash Shiro with his Khyber blade, only to have to retreat halfway through the slash to evade another Bala. Shiro started using Sonído to move, giving him time to charge a highly-condensed Cero in one hand. He kept charging it even as he fought off Ichigo’s repeated attempts to strike him. Finally, he couldn’t shove any more power into the Cero. He blocked one more strike, pushed Ichigo back, and released his hold on the energy.  
  
Seeing the blast coming towards him at high speed, Ichigo reacted on pure instinct. Not having any time to get out of the way, he stabbed his large Khyber blade into the ground in front of him while his smaller blade came up in a block in front of him. As he crouched behind his blades, he threw out his free hand and acted as if he was going to throw a Getsuga from his hand. The energy shot forward in a brilliant display of blue, impacting with Shiro’s red Cero, but it wasn't enough to stop it. Upon realizing that, he pulled in and hardened his reiatsu, hoping to withstand the attack. It blew past his guard, slamming into him and burning against his skin until it faded. He was surprised when Shiro landed in front of him and offered him a helping hand getting up. As he shakily stood, he sheathed his smaller blade, then pulled the larger from the ground and did the same.  
  
“I take it we’re done here?” Ichigo questioned.  
  
**“Hold on. Just one more thing. Pay attention ta what I’m gonna do.”** Shiro said. He put his hand on Ichigo’s chest, and Ichigo felt him manipulating his reiatsu. It shifted from leaking out of his control, to gently circulating inside his body. He watched in amazement as the burns started to heal before his eyes. Shiro suddenly stopped though, and pulled his hand away.  
  
**“Okay. Ya saw what I did, now finish it.”** Shiro ordered. He watched Ichigo closed his eyes, and his reiatsu shifted again, clearly trying to focus. Shiro frowned when Ichigo did the exact same thing, but got no results.  
  
“Why didn’t that work? I’m sure I did what you did.” Ichigo questioned.  
  
Shiro placed a hand over Ichigo’s core, and instructed, **“Do it again and let me examine it.”**  
  
Ichigo repeated what he had just done, and stopped when Shiro pulled his hand away.  
  
“So? What am I doing wrong?” Ichigo asked.  
  
**“Nothing, actually. It seems we have different capabilities for healing is all. I have instant regeneration, which can regenerate all non-vital areas, but is pretty useless on the vitals. You cannot use instant regeneration because yours is different, more of an advanced healing than anything. As long as you don’t die, you can recover from any type of injury, even ones that normally cause irreversible damage, it just takes a longer time. For example, say you took a near fatal injury, but didn’t actually die. You can fully recover from that, but it might take anywhere from days to weeks, depending on the injury.”**  
  
“So it’s like a more extreme form of regeneration, it’s just not instant.” Ichigo clarified.  
  
**“Pretty much. Now, we’ve done a lot today, so let’s just take a rest. We’re done here.”** Shiro said as he sat down. **“Ya’ did real good today, Ichigo.”**  
  
“Hey Shiro, I have a question for you.” Ichigo said as he sat across from Shiro.  
  
**“What?”**  
  
“Is it really okay for me to call you Shiro, and Ossan Zangetsu still? I mean that’s what I called you before, but I know who you guys really are now. Calling you something other than Zangetsu bothers me a bit, now that I know.” Ichigo stated. And Shiro understood. He did not entirely like being called Shiro, when he was in fact, part of Zangetsu. At this thought however, the other Zangetsu materialized next to them and sat with them.  
  
“Ichigo, though we are both Zangetsu, I understand the need for us to have separate names. As we are manifested as the different aspects of your power, I would be Kurogetsu, and he would be Shirogetsu. ‘Together, Shirogetsu and Kurogetsu become Zangetsu.’ Would you find these names acceptable, Ichigo, Zangetsu?” Zangetsu Ossan asked.  
  
“Yeah, I like those names. What do you think, Shiro?” Ichigo questioned.  
  
**“ ‘Together, White Moon and Black Moon become Slaying Moon’ huh? I like that.”** Shirogetsu said with a grin.  
  
“Well then, guess that’s sorted out now, huh, Zangetsu’s.” Ichigo said with a small smile. It honestly made him feel very happy, having his powers manifested and getting along with both him and each other. It didn’t matter what others thought of him or his powers, as long as they were together, they could make it through anything. Speaking of which…  
  
“Hey, how much trouble you think we stirred up with Soul Society? I don’t think that report from Byakuya could have gone well with the other captains, especially the Head Captain. Hope he doesn't try to kill us when he gets back. He’s gotta have something against us for what we did to him.” Ichigo wondered.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-   
  


In the woods on the edge of town, a Senkaimon opened and an unusually ruffled looking noble walked out. He turned to look at the one that had followed him and stepped out right before the gate closed. They stood for a moment, silently observing each other, before the noble spoke up.  
  
“It seems you have not followed me in interest of a fight. If anything, you seem to be wanting to ask something, Hitsugaya-Taicho.”  
  
“Indeed. Although I understood what you said at the meeting, I want to understand why you chose to go against Soul Society. You especially tend to be very strict and by-the-books about things. What prompted this sudden change of heart, Kuchiki?” Toshiro asked. Byakuya took a moment to think about his words before responding.  
  
“Despite what it may seem, this decision was not quite as sudden as you might think. I started questioning things when Kurosaki saved Rukia, and the discussion we had yesterday was enough to harden my resolve. I have actually thought about it quite a bit, likely to the point of being excessive. Aizen cared nothing for the rules, or for the lives he affected. Kurosaki does not care about rules either, but only if they interfere with a person's life. As it is, Kurosaki has already challenged the Soul Society numerous times for our ways, yet we as a society have refused to change. I truly believe Soul Society is in the wrong, has been, but we have simply refused to acknowledge it.” Toshiro listened quietly to the explanation, before nodding and accepting it.  
  
“Thank you, Kuchiki. I understand. Would you mind if I accompany you? As it stands, I agree with you, and am likely already in trouble for leaving with you.” He requested.  
  
“Of course. I see trouble stirring, and we will need as many allies as we can. We need to make the others see that they are in the wrong, before Soul Society destroys itself from within.” Spoken with a tone of finality, Byakuya took the lead tracking Ichigo, Toshiro following close behind him. They had plans and preparations to make.  
  



	10. Blade of The Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did read the end of Bleach. Personally, I think it was rushed and incomplete. Saying that, as far as I am concerned, Bleach ended after the Aizen Arc, and anything beyond that is only suggestion. Just an FYI that spoilers may be popping up, while other things may be completely ignored

-(Later the same day.)-  
  


Byakuya and Toshiro ended up finding Ichigo in Urahara’s training grounds, his spirits on either side of him. The opposite twins appeared to be resting, while the one he knew as Zangetsu Ossan turned to look at them.  
  
“I see you have brought company with you.” Kurogetsu stated.  
  
“Yes. He stirred things up in the Soul Society this morning, and I decided to come along when he made his escape.” Toshiro replied.  
  
Ichigo came over with a grin and said, “Really? Byakuya did? I would have liked to see that. How did it go?”  
  
“It’s not important.” Byakuya immediately said.  
  
Toshiro replied, ignoring Byakuya’s attempt to divert the question. “He blew it in the Captain's meeting, and I’m pretty sure Seireitei is going to be a huge mess right now. He brought up a bunch of stuff they’re pretty sore over.” Ichigo had to hide his smirk as Byakuya’s face got red.  
  
“I thought you were all about the rules, Byakuya. What changed?” Ichigo asked. When he got no response, he gave up and switched topics. “So, what are we going to do now? I’m sure it’s not going to be long before they come after us. I’ve spent the day training with Zangetsu. That’s probably all I can do for now, is to try and be ready.”  
  
“Training is good, but it can only do so much in such a short time unless you are learning new techniques.” Toshiro said.  
  
“As a matter of fact, that is exactly what we were doing. I need to practice using them though, and one of my powers is exhausted from both of us using his power.” Ichigo stated, gesturing towards the waking Shirogetsu.  
  
“And the other is unable to use the Hollow abilities that we have. So we can’t really go all out.” He gestured towards Kurogetsu this time.  
  
“I see. How about we train with you then?” Toshiro suggested.  
  
“Fine by me.” Ichigo agreed. Shirogetsu had come over to listen, and by the end of the conversation he had a sadistic grin. Ichigo noticed too late to stop whatever he had in mind.  
  
**“Ya know what would make this even more interestin? If ev’ryone had their Zanpakuto’s join in the fight. I’m not gonna pass up a fight between capt’n level opponents. And that’ll just add to the fun!”** Shirogetsu said enthusiastically.  
  
There was an unanimous _“No.”_ from the Shinigami.  
  
Shirogetsu pouted, **“Why not?”** then grinned again. **“It would help our training a lot. And you can always learn something from them.”**  
  
Kurogetsu rejoined the conversation saying, “He has a point.”  
  
“I’m interested.” Toshiro agreed.  
  
Byakuya still refused. “There is no need to. I will not join in.”  
  
“Are you sure? Even you could use some teaching from your Zanpakuto now and then. Remember I was on the same level as you as soon as I got bankai, and almost won too. When was the last time you had a training session with Senbonzakura’s help?” Ichigo pressed.  
  
At the lack of reply, Kurogetsu moved forward and swiftly pulled Senbonzakura from its sheath, and Shirogetsu stepped in front to stop anyone from reclaiming the sword. The Shinigami watched as Kurogetsu stabbed the sword into the ground and it began to glow the color of Byakuya’s reiatsu. A brief flash of reiatsu and Senbonzakura stood next to the sword, who pulled the sword out and tossed it to his wielder. Byakuya glared at the dark Zanpakuto spirit through narrowed eyes.  
  
“What did you do?”  
  
“He extracted my soul from your Zanpakuto. Unlike voluntary manifestation, you are not able to use any of my abilities. Currently, you are powerless against your own power.” Senbonzakura stated.  
  
All Byakuya had time for was a brief, ‘Oh crap’ moment as the fight began.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Off to the side, Ichigo watched with interest as Byakuya was fighting a losing battle. He turned to Toshiro though, and said,  
  
“Let’s leave him to train, and we can go train over there.” As the group turned to go to the other side of the cavern, they heard Senbonzakura release, and could've sworn they heard a curse from Byakuya. The sound faded though as they made their way to the other side.  
  
“So. Wanna get our Zanpakuto involved too?” Ichigo asked.  
  
“Of course. Let’s do this.” Toshiro summoned Hyorinmaru, a large blue dragon made of ice. A cold chill spread throughout the area, though Toshiro didn't seem to notice. The dragon curled around him protectively, and his face turned red in embarrassment.  
  
“Is someone's Zanpakuto overprotective, Toshiro?” Ichigo asked in amusement.  
  
“Shut up! Hyorinmaru, attack!” The dragon flew forward with its fangs shining in the light, and the two were quickly out of sight. It attempted to bite Ichigo, but he shunpo’d to the side, throwing a Getsuga from his small blade. It impacted the dragon’s head, but only caused some chipped ice that was quickly repaired. He faintly noticed both Zangetsu taking on Toshiro, but ignored it as Hyorinmaru circled back around. It maneuvered Ichigo up against a wall before flapping it’s wings, sending dozens of icicles at him. They were blasted away by a larger getsuga, but some still managed to get by and cut him, one creating a large wound on his shoulder. He tried to heal it while charging a Cero, but it was too much power with too little control, and the Cero exploded in front of him.  
  
Using the resulting smoke as a cover, he moved out of the way right as the dragon snapped at him again. Ichigo tried again to charge a Cero, and managed to fire it at the dragon’s head, causing the side of it to shatter. Once again, the ice started to regenerate, but it was slower this time.  
  
_‘The more damage there is, the slower it seems to regenerate. Let’s try something different.’_ Ichigo thought. He pointed his swords forward, blades out, and started charging a Getsuga in both of them, with a Cero between the points. He fired the Cero at the head again, once more shattering it, then threw a small Getsuga at it’s wings, and the larger Getsuga along the length of its body. Shattered ice flew everywhere as the attacks connected. The dust cleared just in time for him to see the dragon severely wounded, and swinging his splintered tail at him. Ichigo flew across the training area and crashed into a large pile of rocks. He got up to late to avoid the freezing cloud that spewed from the dragon's mouth, and was frozen for several seconds before he surged his reiatsu and broke free.  
  
_‘This isn’t going well. At this rate, I might have to use ban-kai.’_ Ichigo attacked directly, Shunpo’ing behind Hyorinmaru and stabbing his blades between the dragon's wings. A massive bubble Getsuga formed, breaking apart the wings and damaging the rest of the dragon even more. He shundo’d away when he saw the glow, and Hyorinmaru shrank down to a more human shape with ice wings.  
  
“Ban-kai. Daiguren Hyorinmaru.” The zanpakuto announced.  
  
_‘Dang. My turn then!’_ Ichigo thought. “Ban-kai!” His reiatsu surged briefly, before settling back to it’s usual state. _‘Nothing happened! Why can't I use Ban-kai?!’_ Ichigo panicked. He looked back at Hyorinmaru as dozens of icicles formed around him on all sides.  
  
“Crap.” He pulled in and hardened his reiatsu as much as he could as they all shot towards him and impacted. Ichigo fell to the ground, barely conscious, and severely wounded. Hyorinmaru had dropped out of ban-kai, and come over to see how injured he was. Seeing that he was not going to get back up, he gently picked him up in his mouth. Ichigo felt himself being lifted up, but was to exhausted from regenerating to fight, and simply hung in the dragon's jaws as he was carried. A minute later, he felt himself get dropped into someone's arms, comfortable and warm after the dragon’s icy grip. It was just enough for him to relax and black out from exhaustion of the long day.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


As Hyorinmaru flew at Ichigo, Shirogetsu lunged at Toshiro, who barely blocked in time. Sparks flew as the blades ground against each other, each trying to push the other back. _‘That sword’s different. I thought Kurosaki’s zanpakuto was a giant black and white cleaver, not this thing!’_ His thoughts were interrupted by Shirogetsu flinging him away with a powerful swing. As Toshiro regained his footing and charged up his reiatsu for an attack, Kurogetsu came in from the side for a close attack with a smaller blade forcing him to dodge.  
  
He moved to retaliate and scored a shallow hit, but was forced to dodge again when Shirogetsu closed in. Toshiro Shunpo'd out from between them to behind Shirogetsu, and slashed his sword down, sending a blast of ice into his back. Shirogetsu went down, and a Getsuga passed over his head, crashing into Toshiro, who was unable to bring his sword back up in time. As the explosion cleared, it revealed Toshiro to have several burns on his chest and arms, and his sword having flown off to the side.  
  
Before Kurogetsu could attack again, Toshiro threw out his hands and shouted, “Sajo Sabaku!” Chains flew from his hands and tangled around Kurogetsu, temporarily immobilizing him as moved to grab his sword and turn to block Shirogetsu, who had recovered and attacked. Toshiro pushed him away before Shunpo’ing above him and putting as much force as he could into a downward swing. The ground cracked from the force both fighters were using. Toshiro managed to overpower Shirogetsu and knock him down on his back.  
  
Shitogetsu didn't recover fast enough as Toshiro quickly drew a triangle in the air. “Shitotsu Sansen!” Light exploded from the three points and hit Shirogetsu head on, pinning him to the ground, then threw a reiatsu suppressing kido on top of it. He turned back to Kurogetsu who was just about free. He quickly charged up another ice attack and fired it, just as Kurogetsu broke free and fired another Getsuga. The attacks collided, producing a massive explosion of dust. Through the dust, Toshiro and Kurogetsu exchanged a flurry of high speed blows then separated, assessing the situation. Both were badly cut up.  
  
Kurogetsu spoke, saying, “If this had been a one on one fight, I’m sure either half of Zangetsu would have lost. We admit defeat.” He sheathed his sword in his black cloak, and it seemed as though the sword simply disappeared. Toshiro turned to Shirogetsu who was still pinned and glaring at him.  
  
**“Let me up.”** Shirogetsu demanded.  
  
Toshiro raised an eyebrow at him. “Why? You could be a bit nicer about it, considering you lost.” He retorted. There was a long silence where they just stared at each other, daring the other to look away first. Shirogetsu looked conflicted before looking away.  
  
**“...”**  
  
“What was that? I couldn’t quite catch that.” Toshiro said.  
  
**“I lost will you let me up?”** Shirogetsu repeated. And with that, the kidō broke. He got up and sheathed his sword on his back. They heard a loud explosion in the background and turned to see a fading ice attack, a wounded Ichigo falling out of the air. Shirogetsu used his instant regeneration as he watched Hyorinmaru pick Ichigo up and carry him over. Reaching up to take a barely awake Ichigo, he had no idea what to do when Ichigo went limp in his hold. He looked to Kurogetsu with a ‘What do I do now’ expression, who simply responded with a small smile and shake of his head, before returning to the inner world to rest. He looked around to see that Hyorinmaru had also left, and across the cavern, so had Senbonzakura.  
  
Shifting Ichigo to carry him on his back, Shirogetsu and Toshiro made their way over to Byakuya, who was sitting on a large rock, all cut up and lost in thought.  
  
**“Looks like ya lost.”** Shirogetsu stated. **“How does it feel to be beat down by yer own Zanpakuto?”**  
  
Byakuya’s reply was very quiet. “I angered my power with my own arrogance. It will not happen again.” He had a look that they found difficult to describe. Somewhere between frustration and disappointment in himself, and determination to not let it happen again. He finally looked at them and seemed somewhat surprised to see all of them except Shirogetsu injured, Ichigo carried on Shirogetsu’s back.  
  
“What happened?” Byakuya asked.  
  
Toshiro replied, “I won, but he-” He pointed at Shirogetsu “-has instant regeneration, so he just healed himself after the fight, and his other half left.”  
  
“I see.”  
  
Toshiro sat down on the ground, happy to have a chance to rest. He looked over to see Shirogetsu set Ichigo down, lean him against a rock, and walk away, only to return a minute later with a box.  
  
“Here.” Shirogetsu dropped the box in Toshiro’s lap. “We were usin’ it earlier, but there's still some left.” He went back to Ichigo and started healing him with regeneration.  
  
Toshiro opened the box and pulled out a couple rolls of bandages. He tossed one over to Byakuya, who glared at it before unrolling it to treat his wounds. They seemed somewhat surprised that the Hollow was actually helping them. The little Captain voiced the question first.  
  
Shirogetsu gave a short laugh at it before responding, **“Ya may be capt’n class Shinigami, but I won't have ya draggin’ my partner down, whether it be power wise, or being injured. Ya know he’ll try to protect ya now that he sees ya as allies, if he has even the slightest thought ya need help. That is his greatest weakness, and why I'd even go as far as to take control. Ta me, Ichigo is more important than anything else. Ya got that?”**  
  
Then his tone got significantly darker. **“And I will not hesitate to remove anything that threatens him. That's why I'm making him as strong as possible before we fight against Soul Society. I'm more than willing to wipe them out if they continue to show harmful intent, and I want to make sure he can easily beat them into the ground without getting hurt.”**  
  
“I really mean that much to you?”  
  
Everyone startled at the soft-spoken sentence. **_‘I didn't mean for him to hear that!’_** Shirogetsu silently panicked. He looked at Ichigo, who was looking right back at him in a way he couldn't identify.  
  
“Is that why you were always trying to take over when it seemed I was at my limit, until I proved I was strong enough?”  
  
The Captains silently got up and moved farther away, so as not to intrude on a personal moment that would usually be entirely internal. As Ichigo continued talking, a touch of hurt entered his voice. “Did you not trust me enough to take care of myself? Did I really have to prove my strength to you so many times?”  
  
There as a long silence from Shirogetsu’s hesitance to answer. Finally, the silence was broken as the Zanpakuto Spirit looked down and said, **“Yeah. I'll admit is definitely wasn't the best way, but I'm not gonna say I'm sorry for it either. In the end, you did get stronger, even though you hated me for what I was doing. Do you still hate me for it now?”**  
  
“No, I won't say I hate you for it. At the time, yes, I did, but now, things are changing. While I understand now, and don’t hate you for it anymore, I most certainly don’t approve of your methods. However,” he cut Shirogetsu off as he tried to speak, “I'm willing to put that behind us, now that we're beginning to understand each other more. As long as you never try to take over again, unless there is absolutely no other way, or we both agree to switch control.”  
  
Shirogetsu didn’t say anything, merely nodded in acceptance. Even though they had only been talking, he felt as though he had just got badly beaten down. Ichigo got up and moved over to his Zanpakuto Spirit, putting a hand on his shoulder as they stood face to face.  
  
“Things will work out, we'll just have to keep working on the trust between us.”  
  
**_‘Trust.’_** Shirogetsu gave a small smile. If only his wielder understood how much weight that single word held. “Alright. In time, things will work.” He agreed. And when that trust is restored, so too would the true bond between wielder and sword. For now though, they would just have to work with what they had.  
  



	11. Tested Loyalties

Later that night found Ichigo unable to sleep, no matter how exhausted he was. His mind was racing, unable to keep up with his thoughts about what had happened earlier that day. In a way, it had been a relief to know Shirogetsu’s reasons for doing what he did. In other ways, he had felt hurt that the spirit had clearly not thought him to be strong enough, that he had felt the need to take over completely, instead of just trying to help him. Even though they had agreed to ‘let it go’, he still found himself thinking about it too much and not able to let it drop that easily. He was distracted by a figure dropping down from the ceiling, quickly realizing it as Shirogetsu coming down from the hidden room as the light from the window illuminated him.  
  
**“Ey, King.”**  
  
“Hey Shiro. What’s up?” Ichigo asked, sitting up.  
  
**“Yer thoughts are so loud, I’m feelin ‘em even when I’m not in yer head, and it’s keepin me up. Kasai wasn’t helpin’ either. Are ya worried ‘bout the conversation from earlier?”**  
  
“Yeah, I’ve tried not to think about it too much, but I can’t. It’s just kinda hard to process that everything I thought you were doing to hurt me, you were actually trying to help me. Even if you weren’t exactly going about it in a way that gave off that impression.”  
  
**“Yeah. I realize it wasn’t a good way ta do it, but it worked out anyway.”**  
  
“It did, but it ended up also creating a rift between us. And like I said, it’s just a bit much to take in. I just keep thinking about how things could have gone differently. What if there had been a better way? I feel bad that I treated you as nothing more than an evil Hollow. Even though I didn’t know you were my Zanpakuto, how I treated you is inexcusable.  
  
“Even after the Muramasa incident. No matter what, you are still an important part of my soul. I even locked you away and stole your power, instead of trying to understand and work with you. After all, isn’t that why you hated me? Because I never had anything to do with you, except using your power after rejecting you? Then the time in the Dangai during the Winter War, it was you and the younger form of Kurogetsu, but I only saw him when you guys said you wanted to protect me! I didn’t see that it was both of you!”  
  
At this point, Shirogetsu had moved to sitting on the edge of the bed next to Ichigo, who had lowered his head. He gently lifted his King’s face, only to be shocked by what he saw. Ichigo had such a furious expression, but at the same time, looked to barely be holding back tears. Sensing that Ichigo’s control of both his emotions and reiatsu were slipping, he did the only thing he could think of on such short notice. With a sharp mental jerk, he pulled both of them into the inner world, leaving their empty bodies to fall on the bed.  
  
As they landed in the sideways city, Shirogetsu quickly located the turbulent reiatsu and raced towards it. He arrived to see Ichigo sitting on the ground with his legs pulled up, and face hidden in his arms. Beside Ichigo, Kurogetsu was crouched down with a hand on his shoulder, and was trying to talk to him. He looked up as Shirogetsu slowly approached, and gave him a questioning look. His pale other half shook his head and mouthed ‘later’ before crouching next to Ichigo on the other side.  
  
**“Ey, Ichi. Listen ta me fer a minute, kay? That wasn’t all yer fault. From the start, I never gave ya a reason ta trust me, or even remotely like me. And while I did have some issues with ya fer a while, ultimately it was the result of what I had done ta ya before. The times I helped ya after the ‘Visored’ thing was cause ya quite literally beat some sense inta me. By the time the whole Final Getsuga thing came around, I had truly started ta care ‘bout ya, and wanted ta help ya. That didn’t change even after we lost our powers. When we regained ‘em, I didn’t show up for a while cause I wasn’t sure if ya still thought of me as anything more than the evil Hollow I had made myself out to be.”**  
  
Shirogetsu once again lifted his King’s face to see what his reaction would be. Ichigo now looked very drained, and his expression was unfocused. When he made eye contact with his pale reflection, he surprised everyone present by leaning into him and tightly grabbing hold of him in an embrace. Shirogetsu stiffened, not at all sure what to do. This was not anything he had thought would ever happen. It was obvious that Ichigo was running on emotion right now. When he heard a muffled “I’m sorry”, his tension loosened a bit and he carefully returned the gesture with a soft sigh.  
  
They stayed like that for a while until Ichigo eventually fell asleep. Shirogetsu didn’t push him out of the inner world though. Instead, he moved both himself and his wielder into more comfortable positions. Kurogetsu had backed off to the side, watching their interactions. It seemed that this breakdown had formed the first steps toward building a new bond between them. He now came back over, took off his black cloak, and draped it around the two. Ichigo relaxed at the feel of the soft, warm material, and it wasn’t long before Shirogetsu fell asleep as well. They kept him there until morning, and only sent him back as he was waking up. It may be the best sleep he’d get for a long while.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Ichigo woke up the next morning feeling much better than he had in a long time. The sun shone brightly through the window, telling him that it was well past when he normally got up. Taking just a moment to note Shirogetsu’s absence, and the fact that Isshin hadn’t attacked him this morning, he got up to get ready for the day.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Not much later, Ichigo and Shirogetsu could be found walking through town, simply enjoying the sights. Ichigo had invited the former Captains to come along, but they had opted to stay behind and train with their Zanpakuto, so it was just the two of them walking along in a comfortable silence. When they ended up in a park, Ichigo sat down on a bench and motioned for his companion to do the same.  
  
“You know,” Ichigo began, “It’s so peaceful right now, it’s hard to believe that we’re about to fight against almost the whole of Soul Society if things go to crap. Us and two Captains against the rest of the Gotei. We haven't heard from them though since Byakuya and Toshiro came though. Wonder why?”  
  
“Ever think of actually planning for a fight, Ichigo?”  
  
**_“!”_ ** Both twins jumped up and turned to see Shunsui standing behind where they had been sitting. Not looking away, Ichigo quickly used his badge, then threw it to Shirogetsu, who did the same.  
  
“Why are you here, Kyoraku-Taichou?” Ichigo demanded.  
  
“Yama-Jii wants ya to come to Soul Society to have a talk about what’s been going on. And it would be great if you would tell us where our missing Taichous have gone.” Shunsui said with a lazy drawl.  
  
**“No offense, but I don’t think a talk’s gonna happen. That’s not how things generally go with the Sou-Taichou.”** Shirogetsu snapped.  
  
“And I’m not telling you where the other Captains are. I promised to help them when they joined me, I'm not gonna rat them out.” Ichigo stated.  
  
“Is that so? Well now, that’s too bad, isn’t it?” Was the reply. Ichigo and Shirogetsu were immediately on edge, but not fast enough to avoid trouble. Shirogetsu felt a sharp prick as a black and white blur flashed by, only for it to land in front of him, revealing Soi-Fon. Shirogetsu grabbed his sword and charged towards her, ignoring his King’s panicked cry.  
  
Soi-Fon shunpo’d out of the way and both Zangetsu’s clashed against each other. They quickly pulled away, and Shiro ignored the throbbing starting in his head. They were only able to make a few more attacks before Shiro stumbled, then fell and didn’t get up. As soon as he fell, he pulled himself back into their inner world, and Ichigo felt him return to his soul.  
  
Now it was Ichigo against the two captains, though Shunsui didn’t seem to be trying to hard. He found out why a moment later. As he dodged another or Soi-Fon’s attacks, he wasn’t paying attention to the older Captain. He was hit with a powerful binding kidō, stopping him just long enough for the smaller Captain to stab him with the same needle she had used on Shiro. Ichigo surged his reiatsu, breaking free of the bindings, and shunpo’d away from the fight. He barely managed to get to where Toshiro had told him they would be training before collapsing.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Byakuya noticed Ichigo as soon as he entered the training area. He called back his sword spirit as he went over to see what happened. He was slightly startled when a flash of pink landed between him and the boy, and he heard Toshiro stop behind him, angrily questioning Soi-Fon. Byakuya shifted his focus back in front of him.  
  
“What is the meaning of this, Kyoraku-Taicho? What have you done to the Substitute?”  
  
“Ah, that would be the little lady’s doing.” Shunsui replied, ignoring the nasty look from Soi-Fon. “Ya see, he didn’t want ta come with us after she took out his buddy that was with him. He got away, but not before getting stung by our little bee with a little something special. We don’t have ta fight, if ya just come quietly.”  
  
Byakuya gave him a hard look before drawing his sword and saying, “I made a promise with Kurosaki. As I told you during the meeting, we came to an understanding. That being I will fight for him, because I do not want to be part of a system he has shown me is wrong.”  
  
“I see. Guess we have no choice then.” Shunsui replied. By now, both Captains had drawn their swords. Byakuya was the first to move, trying to get between Ichigo and the Captains. Shunsui moved to block him, and the fight began. The former Captain threw the twin katanas off with a powerful swing and jabbed his free hand out.  
  
“Hado #4: Byakurai!” The lightning shot forward, only to be knocked away with a flick of the sword. Byakuya’s blade rose again to block Shunsui’s other blade, leaving him open to attack from the first. He didn’t move fast enough, and received a shallow cut as he dodged. They separated, both watching the other. Byakuya knew he was only holding his own, because the senior Captain was not putting much real effort into his strikes. If he was serious, he would not have stood a chance. He was proven right a moment later, when Soi-Fon shouted at Shunsui and he picked up the pace and power of attacks.  
  
Byakuya was now purely defensive, only able to block against the heavy assault. There was not even time to attempt to go into Shi-kai. As he made to strike at an opening, his sword flew from his hand as the older Captain’s blade dug deep into his arm, rendering it useless. In the instant it took him to process this, Shunsui had shunpo’d in front of him, and was now holding his twin blades resting against the younger Shinigami’s throat. Having immobilized his opponent, he channeled reiatsu into his hands.  
  
“Bakudo ##63: Sajo Sabaku.” Chains flew from the blades, quickly entangling Byakuya, before Shunsui removed one of his swords and pointed an open palm at his face.  
  
“Tanma Otoshi!” Byakuya staggered against the wave of dizziness and blackness. It was just enough for him to be taken out by a sharp blow to the back of his head.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Toshiro’s questions were cut short as Soi-Fon darted forward, intent on taking him out quickly. The white haired shinigami shunpo’d backwards out of reach. He knew he was at a disadvantage speed wise, but not power wise. He met the next strike with a fast block, then pushed her away with a strong swing. Toshiro took the offensive, raining a frenzy of strikes against the slightly taller captain. As he aimed a downwards blow, Soi-Fon disappeared from his sight, and his sword crashed to the ground, leaving him open to attack. He barely dodged the retaliation, gaining a small cut on his cheek as he moved. It was unnoticeable at first, but it started to sting as he kept fighting. He continued to exchange blows with her, and soon it was hard to focus from the spreading numbing sensation.  
  
During a brief pause, he roughly sealed the wound with a wave of Kaido, hoping it would help. It didn’t. It reacted to the flare of reiatsu and spread rapidly, coursing through his body. Soi-Fon stood by and watched as the young Shinigami dropped his sword and fell to the ground. When it appeared he would not be getting back up, she moved to knock him out, but was knocked away by a blast of reiatsu. The energy was quickly brought back under control, and lashed out in the form of Kido as Toshiro fought to stand and reclaim his Zanpakuto. Soi-Fon activated her Shunko to defend from the kido based assault. Toshiro suddenly vanished, reappearing to try and grab the now unconscious Byakuya. He managed to grab the back of his shihakusho, but was too weakened to flash away. The little Shinigami tripped on his shunpo, sending him and his companion to the ground. He didn’t dare to try and move because of the blade now held just inches from his face.  
  
“To bad you tripped just then. You almost got away, chibi-Taicho.” Shunsui commented from the other end of the sword. “Now, it’s time to take everyone back to the Seireitei.” Chains again formed in the pink Captain’s hand as he put his sword away and bound the little Captain in the Kido. Toshiro only had one thought running through his mind.  
  
_‘We are in so much trouble.’_  
  



	12. Crumbling Perspectives

By the time they got to Squad One’s meeting hall, Ichigo had recovered enough to weakly stumble along between Shunsui and Soi-Fon. When they entered, Soi-Fon pushed him to his knees, keeping his arms bound behind him in the same Kido Rukia had used on him when they first met. Speaking of which, he didn't see either her or Renji in their places behind the line of Captains with the other Lieutenants. He was understandably concerned, because he had a total of zero allies in the room. The two Captains that had been captured with him had been taken to Squad One's holding cells, and his Lieutenant friends were absent. He was currently weakened, bound, and weaponless. And well, it was just an overall bad situation. His attention was brought to Head Captain as the meeting started.  
  
“Kurosaki Ichigo.” Head-Captain began, “Do you know why you are here?”  
  
“Maybe it has to do with the fact that I’ve been taking care of Hollows? And, oh, I don’t know, that I managed to get two of your Captains to join me?” Ichigo replied sarcastically.  
  
Yamamoto ignored his tone, and continued. “Correct. Shinigami are supposed to purify Hollows, not shelter them. You have also turned two captains against Soul Society. Both actions go against your duty as a Shinigami. What do you have to say for yourself?”  
  
“Okay, to start with, Shiro being my Inner Hollow, obviously is a part of me, so I'm not gonna be letting anything happen to him. As for the Hollow cat, she’s not a danger to anyone, except for maybe you idiots, so who am I to purify them? Hollows have lives too, so I can't just kill every Hollow I come across.”  
  
“You cannot, or will not? There is a big difference, Kurosaki.”  
  
“I will not. And just to remind you in case you forgot, I'm only a Substitute. So I'm still a human, not just another one of your Shinigami pawns. Your orders don't apply to me.” Several of the Captains were giving him nasty looks for that remark, but Yamamoto especially was glaring at him through narrowed eyes.  
  
“Even as a Substitute, you are still a Shinigami. Therefore, our laws and orders still apply to you.”  
  
“And I just said, I'm human! Those “laws and orders” don't apply to me!” The pressure in the room then began to rise as Ichigo and the Head Captain stared each other down. Ichigo fought to stand and break the Kido, but he was unable to, as he was still weakened. Behind him Soi-Fon also still had a tight hold. Ichigo flared his reiatsu even higher, and the lesser Shinigami in the room began to fall under the combined spiritual pressure of Ichigo and Yamamoto.  
  
“Kurosaki! Stop this at once!” Captain Unohana shouted.  
  
“No! You can't control me! You won’t even listen to me, you never listen to anyone! ” Ichigo was starting to panic now. He was very vulnerable, and he had multiple Captains angry with him.  
  
_‘Get Up! Move!’  
  
_ Ichigo thought, seeing the Captains’ hands move closer to their Zanpakuto.  
  
‘Shiro! HELP ME!’  
  
The Kido broke as Ichigo’s reiatsu turned darker, increasing even further, and a mask began to form. He didn’t even notice the large dosage needle full of the same liquid that had immobilized him earlier puncture his skin. The mask formed even faster as he managed to stand, and turned to run. However, he still could not shunpō, but instead left in a burst of sonido, drawing on his Hollow half’s power. Feeling the eldest Captains give chase, Yamamoto and the others stayed behind, and Ichigo continued running.  
  
Jushiro fell behind quickly, but Shunsui and Unohana kept pursuit until Ichigo began to tire. At first it was only a misfired sonido here or there, but soon it was almost every step. Finally, he lost his footing on another misfire, and went crashing to the ground. It was only a moment for the Captains to reach him, and he knew he was done. The last thing he saw as his vision began to fade was the pink-clad Captain crouching in front of him to shatter the mask with his sword.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Shunsui sighed, watching the boy’s eyes close, and his body go limp as Unohana caught up, giving him a quick once over to make sure he was okay. He really didn’t like being so rough with such a young, in his mind, child. Soi-Fon had arrived a few moments later, to deliver a message.  
  
“Since Kurosaki is too strong to be kept in any barracks holding cell or prison cell, he is to be held in Muken until a decision is reached. It is the safest and most secure option at the moment for both us and him, as the only other occupant is sealed. I have orders to take him right away.”  
  
Another sigh, with looks of concern from both senior Captains. “I suppose… Though I don’t like the idea.” Unohana stated.  
  
“We’ll go with you as far as the entrance.” Shunsui said.  
  
“Fine. Do what you want.” Soi-Fon replied. Unohana picked up Ichigo’s unconscious body and they started walking. Soon, _‘too soon,’_ Unohana thought, they were back at the First, at the entrance to the great prison. She reluctantly handed the Substitute Shinigami to Soi-Fon, who had to carry him over her shoulder. They silently went their separate ways, and Soi-Fon entered the darkness of the prison with Ichigo. There was a short descent, then another set of heavy doors. This repeated a few more times until they reached their destination. She placed Kido bindings on him, opened the final set of doors, and roughly threw Ichigo into the shadowed room.  
  
“Learn your place, Substitute.” With hardly a glance back, she left Ichigo Kurosaki behind her.  
  
A figure sat in the shadows, mildly shocked at what just happened. He looked from the closing door back to the limp figure that had just been thrown in. In this situation, Aizen Sosuke had just seen one Substitute Shinigami Ichigo Kurosaki left in front of him in the depths of Muken. Said being was looking quite beaten, and not about to wake up anytime soon. He could wait though. He was a patient man.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Ichigo woke in his inner world, laying on his back next to Shirogetsu, who seemed to have fallen asleep with his legs pulled close in a sitting position, and his head resting on his crossed arms, which were propped up on his knees. It was such a strange sight, to see such a relaxed expression on his face instead of his crazy and sadistic smirks. Kurogetsu was off to the side, not paying much attention to them. Trying to get up, Ichigo found himself still unable to do so. Hating to wake the sleeping Hollow, but finding it necessary, he called out to him.  
  
“Shirogetsu.” Getting no response, he tried again, louder. “Shirogetsu. Hey, Shiro wake up already would ya!” This time, he earned a weak groan from his spirit, but he did finally wake up after a few more minutes of Ichigo yelling.  
  
**“Ey, be quiet would ya? How ya doin’ though?”**  
  
He asked with a tired smile.  
  
“How do you think I feel?” Ichigo snapped.  
  
**“...”**  
  
Shiro just stared at him for that remark.  
  
“Overall pretty crappy, but okay. I can’t get up though.” Ichigo replied finally.  
  
**“Yeah that’s what I thought ya might say Kingy. They gave ya a huge dose of that paralyzing stuff when ya flipped at the meetin’. Ya passed out a while later after ya ran off. Ya’ve been out since. I’ve had a while ta recover, since I didn’t get hit with a second dose of the stuff.”**  
  
Shiro informed him.  
  
“So how long have we been out for this time?” Ichigo asked.  
  
**“Ya were out fer a couple hours at least, before I fell asleep.”**  
  
“Were you right here watching me the whole time?”  
  
Shiro looked away to hide his reddening face.  
  
**“Maybe.”**  
  
There was a moment of awkward silence, as neither spoke. Ichigo found it rather amusing how protective the Hollow was acting now. “Thanks, Shiro.”  
  
Now he turned to stare at Ichigo, completely surprised at the words he had just heard.  
  
**“King?”**  
  
“You were worried about me, weren’t you? And you sat here, watching over me. So, thank you.”  
  
Shiro felt something change, and he gave a genuine smile, despite his embarrassment.  
  
**“No problem, Ichi.”**  
  
Ichigo smiled at this too. Shirogetsu reached over and pulled him into a sitting position. Ichigo was still weak and stiff, but at least able to move now.  
  
“Any idea what’s been happening outside?”  
  
**“Nope. It’s been pretty quiet out there.”**  
  
“Should go see what’s been going on then. See ya, Shirogetsu.” With those words, Ichigo disappeared from the inner world, leaving a stunned Hollow behind.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Aizen’s interest perked when he heard signs of life from Ichigo. At first, it was only a slight stirring, then a soft groan as he woke and moved himself into a sitting position. It took only moments for Ichigo’s senses to go off, and his head snapped around to stare, in the dim light, directly at a man he had never wanted to see again. He flinched when Aizen spoke to him, his voice echoing in the dark room.  
  
“Kurosaki Ichigo. Never thought I’d see you here, of all places. Just what did you do this time?”  
  
Ichigo seemed to regain his wits at that point. He sat facing Aizen, still tightly bound by Kido, and a firm scowl settled in place.  
  
“That’s none of your business.” He replied coldly. Aizen only chuckled at his tone.  
  
“No need for that, now. After all, I was merely curious as to why Soul Society would send their ‘supposed’ ally to such a place as this. It is a place for very powerful and dangerous criminals, after all.”  
  
At this, Ichigo looked around, clearly nervous. “Don’t worry. It is only you and I on this level. That is likely why they brought you here, so that there would be no harm to you while you were so indisposed the last several hours.”  
  
"It’s been that long?” Ichigo had not realized he’d spoken out loud.  
  
“Yes. Whatever they did to you must have been pretty strong. They even went as far as to bind you even after you were knocked out. It seems they have given you something else as well. Why have you not gotten up and broken the Kido? With your usual strength, it should be easy.”  
  
Ichigo looked away and hesitantly told him. “They gave me something to immobilize me before they got me. It was a large amount, and hasn’t completely worn off yet.”  
  
“I see. Allow me to help you with one of your problems.” Aizen’s reiatsu, which had been suppressed, was now noticeably present and heavy. He let a condensed blast slam down on Ichigo. As the breath was knocked out of him and he crashed to the ground, the Kido shattered. The pressure let up as soon as all of the bindings had been broken, and as Ichigo regained his bearings, he sat back up, now rubbing his head. He stood, looking uncertainly at the one who had just freed him.  
  
“Why would you, one of my enemies, help me?” Ichigo questioned.  
  
“Because you should not be here. This is no place for someone like you.” Ichigo stared in surprise. That was… unexpected to say the least.  
  
“But why you? I thought you’d hate me, but here you are helping me.”  
  
“I only hated that a human proved himself to be stronger than my transcendent state. I never actually hated you as a person. The final fight between us was only because we had a difference in priorities.” Aizen admitted.  
  
“Why were you so determined to replace the King anyway? And why did you end up using such a weird form?” Ichigo continued pressing for answers.  
  
“Because he is the foundation for Soul Society’s corruptness. Replacing him would allow for change, something that is desperately needed. I want to change Soul Society to allow for a better system, and for all souls to have the chance at a better life. What was wrong with my form?” Aizen asked curiously.  
  
“You do know you ended up looking like a gigantic hollowfied butterfly, right? And was there any other way to make the key that would not have sacrificed so many lives?” Ichigo replied with a small laugh at the first part of his remark.  
  
“There were only two other ways. One would have required the power equivalent to all the Captains and Lieutenants combined. As much as I disagree with the Gotei, I did not want to wipe them out along with the rest of Seireitei. The balance would have been thrown into chaos, souls would not be able to enter Soul Society, and Hollows would be left to overtake the World of the Living, because there would not be any Shinigami to maintain the balance. And please don’t remind me about that accursed form.” Many thoughts were running through Ichigo’s mind, but he held them back. If so many lives hadn’t been at stake, would he have been fighting on the wrong side of the war? More and more, it seemed like that was the case. He needed to know more.  
  
“What’s the other way?” Ichigo asked in a suspicious tone.  
  
“To combine the power of the Hogyoku with the power of a transcendent. The transcendent will have their powers stripped from them in exchange for making the key. Originally, I had planned to use yours, but that didn't happen.” Aizen was watching the young Shinigami carefully, waiting for a reaction.  
  
“So, two of the ways, people die, but you were trying for the third way, to just take a single person’s power, is that right? And you were doing it to try and make things change for the better.”  
  
“That’s right.”  
  
Realization hit Ichigo hard. “You were never the bad guy, except for how you did things.”  
  
Now he looked Aizen right in the eye. “What would you do now, if you were free?” Ichigo challenged.  
  
“I still intend to pursue my ambitions, if that is what you are asking. Except, I would probably rethink my method of obtaining the key.”  
  
“What do you mean? I thought we just went over the ways to make the key, and you know none of those are gonna happen.”  
  
“There is more than one transcendent who could give up his power.”  
  
“...” There was a long silence as Ichigo processed this.  
  
“Are you saying you would give up your power?”  
  
“Yes. You are a more perfect transcendent than I, and so would be better suited for maintaining the balance between worlds should the Soul King fall.”  
  
“Hold on a second. Why would I need to maintain the balance? I don't want to become the Soul King or anything.”  
  
“You would not have to, if you did not want to. Anyone can become the King, but a sample of transcendent reiatsu would be required to bind that being with the power of the King.”  
  
“I see.” They both fell silent for a few moments, thinking over the options.  
  
“Alright. I’ll join your cause as long as we do this in a way that causes minimal damage, and no one I care about gets hurt.”  
  
“Very well. We have a deal.”  
  
Ichigo slowly moved closer, studying Aizen’s bindings.  
  


_‘How can I get him out of these? I don't even have a weapon on me. Unless…’_ He got an idea. _‘I wonder if I can use Reishi to form the smaller blade. It is a Quincy weapon after all.’_  
  
It took a few moments of concentration, but the blade did, in fact, appear. Gripping it with both hands, he brought it down as hard as he could on one of the bindings straps. After repeating this process several more times, many of the larger seals had been broken, and Aizen was now removing the rest himself. Both Shinigami stiffened when they heard the large door begin to open.  
  
“Crap! I'm not strong enough to fight or outrun them yet!” Ichigo cursed under his breath. When the door opened further, many things happened at once. Komamura shouted and drew his sword. The floor seemed to move as Ichigo's feet left the ground and he was carried. A glowing sword made of pure reiatsu appeared out of nowhere and buried itself in the Wolf-Captains heart. Then the captives ran away, one carrying the other as the Captain fell in a forming pool of blood.  
  
For several minutes, the surroundings went by nauseatingly quickly for Ichigo. They were suddenly blinded as they emerged from the darkness into daylight. Even though they were still slightly weak, they continued racing away from the heart of Seireitei. Finally, Aizen collapsed from the exhaustion of using so much of a power that had just been unsealed. Ichigo managed to land on his feet as he was abruptly dropped. He turned to see Aizen on the ground, on his hands and knees, trying to catch his breath. After a brief hesitation, Ichigo offered him a hand up, which Aizen accepted, regaining his composure as he stood.  
  
“That was a pretty dramatic escape back there.” Ichigo commented. “I thought we were going for minimal damage, and you just had to go kill a Captain! That’s not what we’re trying to do!” Ichigo’s tone turned accusing.  
  
“He would have either followed us, or raised an alarm. What I did was buy us some time. Time that we should use wisely. The most important task at the moment is to retrieve your Zanpakuto. Can't have you defenseless, can we? Where has it been taken?” Aizen replied.  
  
“Well, I do have this sword.” Ichigo held the short blade up. “But what about you? Didn't you lose yours in our last fight?”  
  
“I am able of make my own swords with my Reikoru, that is not an issue. You, however, will not be able to fight with only one short blade. I ask again, where is your Zanpakuto?”  
  
“Last I saw it, the guys who had Byakuya and Toshiro took it. They were heading to the First’s holding cells, so that's probably where it ended up.” Ichigo relented, giving up the information.  
  
“Well, better get moving then. Can you at least Shunpo now?” Aizen asked. Ichigo shifted his foot, considering, before disappearing from sight. Aizen followed a moment later in a shunpō of his own.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Two figures stopped outside the First Division's gates. Making sure they were not seen, they ran in the shadows, making their way deeper into dangerous territory. Several turns and close calls later, they arrived at the Division's holding cells. Aizen made quick work of the guards with binding Kido, then they were in. Suddenly, Ichigo stopped.  
  
“I have to go get the others out. I need you to get everyone’s Zanpakuto, and meet up with us afterward. We regroup in the cavern under Sokyoku hill. And don’t even think about turning traitor on us.” Ichigo said. A quick nod from his newfound partner, and they separated. It was only a little further to the cells, so Ichigo ran the rest of the way. He ducked into the empty office to grab the keys, and finally made it to where the Captains were. They looked up when he appeared, surprised to see him working on the lock. The suppressors and restraints were easily broken by the Substitute’s blade.  
  
“What are you doing here? We thought you were caught and locked up too.” Toshiro said.  
  
“I was. I escaped, as you can clearly see.” Ichigo replied shortly.  
  
“But how? We felt you trying to fight them, then your reiatsu disappeared. That was hours ago.”  
  
“You’ll understand soon enough. Right now, we have to get out of here before someone notices.” Ichigo insisted.  
  
“Fine.” All three vanished, with Ichigo leading the way to the meeting point.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Byakuya stiffened and Toshiro froze as they landed in the underground cavern. Both instinctively reached for their swords, only to remember their absence.  
  
“Wait, Ichigo!” Toshiro shouted at the boy walking away from them. “Did you know he was here? Why are you with him?!”  
  
Ichigo stopped and looked back at the note of hysteria that had entered the young Captain’s voice. “Toshiro. I promise I can explain everything, but you need to trust me on this.”  
  
Toshiro took a step back, shaking his head and eyes wide. “I can’t believe this. You, with Aizen of all people. Have you lost it?!” He was startled by a hand on his shoulder, only to realize it was Byakuya. And he was staring Ichigo down with a nasty glare. Ichigo’s confidence wavered, then shattered as the glare got even harder. The substitute broke eye contact first, looking down and avoiding their gazes.  
  
“Kurosaki. You owe us an explanation, NOW.” Ichigo winced at the harsh tone, and, still not looking at them, gave his reply.  
  
“When you felt me fighting earlier, I had escaped from the Captain’s meeting. I was chased and taken out by Shunsui and Unohana. When I woke up, I was in prison with Aizen. He broke the kidō that was binding me, and we talked and came to an agreement. We both want to change Soul Society, he was just going about it in a more extreme way. The agreement was we help each other, and cause as little harm and damage as possible. I broke his seals, and he helped me escape. We went to Squad One so I could get you guys out, and he could retrieve everyone’s Zanpakuto. He should be here waiting for us with our swords, and he’s here to help us.” Ichigo’s eyes remained on the ground, even when he heard Byakuya approaching. He did nothing to avoid the punch, and his face stung badly where he had been hit.  
  
“You better hope you made the right decision. If he turns on us, you will be the first one I go after. Understand?” A silent nod was the only reply. Byakuya walked past him, and Toshiro came over now.  
  
“Even though I’d really like to hit you as well, I won’t. As much as I hate him, I’ll give him a chance, and determine for myself if I can trust him enough to work with him. You better be right.” Toshiro left too, leaving Ichigo to follow behind a minute later. He was the last to arrive, having trailed behind the others. Aizen and the Captains had apparently been talking, and had confirmed Ichigo’s story. Aizen spared a glance at him, noted the forming bruise, and finished his conversation before handing the weapons out.  
  
He had the large Zangetsu slung across his back, with a smaller sword resting on it, and a sword on either hip. Overall, he looked very intimidating, with the black clothing and all those swords. Hyorinmaru was taken off his back and returned, and Senbonzakura was returned as well. Aizen made his way over to Ichigo and returned the final known sword, leaving one unknown sword hanging at his hip.  
  
Ichigo winced as the mental connection with his sword was restored, and he heard his Hollow yelling at him in a string of a colorful choice of words. Nonetheless, he tried to ignore it for the moment in favor of paying attention to what Aizen was saying.  
  
“What took so long? Have a discussion with your friends?” He casually remarked, referring to the large mark on Ichigo’s face.  
  
Ichigo scowled. “Yeah. Thanks for getting our Zanpakuto back. Speaking of which, what’s up with that one? That’s not your Zanpakuto.” He motioned to the extra sword.  
  
“This is an Asauchi, an empty, nameless sword. Zanpakuto are formed from a Shinigami’s soul imprinting onto these blank swords. As Kyoka Suigetsu’s form no longer exists, I am attempting to reconnect her to another blade.” Aizen replied.  
  
“Ah...” Ichigo wasn’t sure how good of an idea it was for him to have his Zanpakuto back, but he would go with it for now. After all, they needed as much help as they could get. The Captain’s attention was suddenly diverted, prompting Ichigo to ask what was going on.  
  
“An alarm must have been raised. Signatures are flaring, and moving very quickly to their divisions. Our extra time has just run out. Be ready to fight any search party we come across. We’ll head to the Senkaimon, then find a way to Hueco Mundo. That is currently the safest place for us to be. I already informed them of the plan.” Aizen told Ichigo.  
  
“Fine. We should hurry before too many people are searching.” Ichigo said.  
  
Aizen looked at the boy again. “As soon as we leave this training ground, your reiatsu will be like a flare, leading them to us. You still can’t suppress your energy, can you?”  
  
“No.” Was the immediate reply. He sighed. “We can work on that later, but we need a temporary solution right now.”  
  
Ichigo paused, seemingly listening to an inner voice. There was a surprised comment of, “Really? You can do that?” Then another pause. “Hang on a sec, I might have something.”  
  
Ichigo closed his eyes as his energy fluctuated and changed. When his eyes opened again, it was clear this was no longer Ichigo. His eyes were a pale blue, and the reiatsu was now different as well, though it was quickly suppressed. What was even more surprising was the difference in voice when he spoke.  
  
“We should hurry.” Everyone just nodded, not sure what to make of the deeper voice. They suppressed their own signatures and left, racing towards their goal.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


The group landed in front of the Senkaimon, no worse for the wear. The one patrol they had run into had only been seated officers, and had been taken out quickly, but they had a big problem now. In front of the gate stood Yamamoto and Soi-Fon. If looks could kill, the whole group of escapees would be dead. Yamamoto’s grip on his cane tightened as he spoke.  
  
“A whole group of traitors, all working together. What a disgrace. You shall not leave here alive.”  
  
Soi-Fon took that as her cue and flashed forward, blade drawn, trying to take Byakuya out in one move, only for Aizen to step between them and block the strike with a Reishi blade. As they began to fight, Yamamoto sent a wave of fiery reiatsu at the rest of them, causing them to scatter. Other signatures around Seireitei were responding to the rise in energy, and several Captain-class signatures were now heading their way, creating a tight time limit. Byakuya and Ichigo, now back in control, were fighting against the Head Captain, and Toshiro had disappeared from the area.  
  
Off to the side, Aizen and Soi-Fon were still fighting, but Soi-Fon seemed to be getting distracted by something. He suddenly moved his fight over in the middle of the other fight, and Soi-Fon turned on Yamamoto. Other Shinigami started arriving, and chaos ensued as they tried to figure out why Captains were suddenly turning on each other. There were only two newly arrived people who were not fighting, and they were being escorted by Toshiro, who had reappeared.  
  
“The gate’s open. We should go now, before they realize what happened.” He said. The team, now plus two, rushed through the Senkaimon, the fighting coming to a halt as the unstable illusion shattered, and the gate slammed shut behind the traitors.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Ichigo’s group emerged in the Dangai, staying just long enough for Shirogetsu to speak up and open a Garganta, only relaxing once they reached the underground remains of Las Noches. The chamber they ended up in looked like it was a combination of an office and living quarters, with the work area in one part of the room, and the rest of it having a sofa, chairs, a table, and even a bookshelf crammed full of books, scrolls, and other documents. The former Captains each took a seat in the chairs, while Ichigo sat on the floor against the wall, and the other two remained standing.  
  
“You’re lucky you got to us when you did. We were just about to leave.” Toshiro said.  
  
“Where had you guys been? I hadn’t seen you guys anywhere while I was there.” Ichigo asked.  
  
“We were under house arrest at Squad 6 and snuck past the guards when we felt reiatsu’s flaring. But that’s not important right now. What is important is what we heard after you were brought back to the Soul Society. Do you know what they’ve decided on for punishment?” Rukia questioned.  
  
“No, but how bad could it be? I’ve handled plenty of crap from them.” Ichigo said.  
  
“Ichigo, they want to kill your human body, suppress your power, and put you under supervision in a Squad, and have you work for them until you conform to the ways of Soul Society.”  
  
“So you’re sayin, they want to make me a real Shinigami, and they’re gonna try and make me join them so they can break me?” Ichigo asked, incredulously.  
  
“Yeah, pretty much.” Rukia agreed.  
  
“Crap, my body’s still in the World of the Living! I can’t leave it there if they’re going to be targeting it!”  
  
“If we’re fast, we can go get it, but we have to come straight back. We shouldn’t hang around there.” Rukia stated.  
  
“Fine. I’m leaving right now. Byakuya’s in charge. You coming, Rukia?” Ichigo asked.  
  
“Of course, Baka.” Rukia snapped. Ichigo called his Hollow out to open a Garganta, and without a look back, they took off through the black portal.


	13. Life Lessons

Ichigo and Rukia stepped out of the portal and began racing to where his body had been left, only to stop just short of arriving when they felt another pressure already there. Cautiously moving closer, they got a good look at what was happening, only to be horrified at what they saw. Soi-Fon was standing from where she had been crouched, and Ichigo felt a pull at his chest as his body disappeared, dissolving into thin air as a Kido was dispelled.  
  
They took off again before they could be noticed, Ichigo managing to tear open a Garganta under his own power when they were far enough away. Only once they were in relative safety did they fully process what had just happened.  
  
“I’m so sorry, Ichigo.” _‘We were too late.’_  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


In the World of the Living, Isshin stood in the entrance of his house, quite surprised at who was standing outside. After hearing Karin yelling at him to let their guest in already, he stepped aside and invited them in.  
  
“Captain Ukitake. What a surprise to see you here.” Isshin commented. “It’s unusual to get a visitor from Soul Society, much less a Captain. What can I do for you?” He asked as he led the way to the living room. Jushiro took a seat after a moment of hesitation.  
  
“Actually, this is going to be a very short visit. Shunsui is the only one who knows where I am, I came without orders. I wanted to warn you.” Isshin’s light mood vanished at the concerned tone in Jushiro’s voice, and he became serious.  
  
“What happened? It must be something big for you to have come in secret.”  
  
Jushiro sighed, and regretfully relayed the news. “Ichigo, as usual, has been stirring things up. He had a disagreement with Soul Society, and even got two Captains to join him. They were brought back to Seireitei to discuss these things, and to put it bluntly, the whole situation simply blew up. Ichigo, Captain Kuchiki, Captain Hitsugaya, and his friends Rukia and Renji have all escaped, and seem to be working with Aizen, who we suspect is still with them.  
  
“These people are currently being tracked down by the Gotei, but your son is the one in the most danger. At worst, the Captains and Lieutenants would be stripped of their ranks and placed under supervision indefinitely. However, for Ichigo, it has been decided that he is to become a true Shinigami, and be placed in Squad One under Head Captain’s watch with restrictions on his powers, in hopes that he will conform to the ways of Soul Society.” Isshin had been listening with interest that soon turned to horror the more he heard.  
  
“But- they can’t do that! Sure he has powers, but he’s still a human! The Gotei is meant to protect humans, not condemn them!” Isshin denied.  
  
Suddenly, Jushiro pulled in his reikoru and turned to look elsewhere. “I’m very sorry, but I can’t stay any longer. I only came to warn you, and I am out of time. Another Captain has just arrived. Be careful, you may be next if they think you are helping them. Goodbye, Kurosaki Isshin.” Jushiro quickly stood and left in a rush of shunpo, leaving a stricken father behind.  
  
Isshin snapped out of his shock and hastily traced the new signature that had appeared. He called out to Karin and Yuzu that he was going out for a bit, then left, racing as fast as he could to his destination. Isshin wished he had convenient way to exit his gigai, like Ichigo using his Substitute badge. It would make his life so much easier. He finally arrived to see Soi-Fon working with a destructive kido, crouched over something on the ground. As she stood and moved away, he got a disturbingly clear view of Ichigo’s human body dissolving in the remains of the kido.  
  
He saw another flash of orange, and turned turned just in time to catch sight of Ichigo and Rukia flashing away. In his human form, he had no chance of catching up to them. Taking a quick look back, he saw Soi-Fon leave as well, then spotted Ichigo’s Substitute badge under a nearby bench. He snatched it up and used it, placing it in his Shihakusho pocket as he raced to catch up with his own shunpo. It was too late though, Isshin coming to a stop where the reiatsu trail ended with a trace of Hollow energy. Neither soul he had been following was nearby. With a resigned sigh, he made his way back to where he had left his gigai. Holding on to the badge, he turned and went back home. Ichigo was out of his reach for now, but he still had two other children he needed to take care of. He would find Ichigo as soon as he could.  
  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Ichigo sat against a wall in a corner of Aizen’s office, silent and not paying much attention to anything other than his thoughts. He hadn’t spoken since they’d gotten back, and Rukia hadn’t said anything on what had happened either. She was sitting next to Ichigo on the floor, leaning into him slightly in wordless comfort, ignoring the disapproving look from Byakuya. Once it became clear they would be there for a while, the others had opted to move on without them.  
  
Over the next several hours, plans were made, and a schedule was set in place including training and lookout duties. Time had also been set aside for Aizen and Ichigo to study and train alone. By the time they were done, it had gotten quite late, so Toshiro and Renji left for the first watch. Byakuya had taken Rukia, who had fallen asleep on Ichigo’s shoulder, and gone to get some rest, leaving Aizen alone in his study with Ichigo still sleeping sitting against the wall. He made to move the boy to the couch, but was stopped before he could even touch him by a white copy of Ichigo manifesting between them.  
  
**“Don’t touch.”** Shirogetsu snarled at him. Once Aizen had complied by taking a step back, Shirogetsu carefully scooped up his wielder in his arms and left to find a spare room. Now completely alone, Aizen began putting lights out, only leaving the ones by his work area lit. He sat behind his desk and took out a set of brushes and ink, and a few blank sheets of paper. With a tired sigh, he began working. It was going to be a long night if he wanted to have a plan ready for tomorrow.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Since returning to the remains of Las Noches, Ichigo had understandably been in a pretty bad mood. He was vaguely aware of Rukia next to him, but paid no mind to it as he began an internal dialogue with his powers.  
  
“What do I do now? I’m dead now. Not just a temporary death like what Kisuke did to me, but really dead. My human life disappeared, just like that.” Ichigo paused for a moment, considering.  
  
“What if I were to use a gigai like dad did? Could I still go back to living a somewhat normal life that way?”  
  
_“It’s unlikely. Isshin had lost his powers and merged with a gigai, becoming a human. You, being a full spirit with powers, will not be able to keep a human lifestyle for long. To my understanding, a gigai will take the form of the soul who inhabits it. That means you will not age normally, like a human or powerless spirit. People would notice, and what would you do when your lifespan far surpasses that of a human?”_ Kurogetsu reasoned.  
  
“It shouldn’t be that easy to just rip someone’s life away from them.” Ichigo thought, his frown deepening.  
  
**“Ey King, sure this sucks, but what can you really do about it? Whether ya like it or not, yer a full-fledged Shinigami now.”**  
  
**_(Abandon your fear.)_**  
  
“I never wanted to be a normal person, but I didn’t want to become a complete Shinigami either.”  
  
_“Ichigo, I know this is hard, but there is nothing that can be done. What’s happened has happened.”_ __  
  
**_(Look forward.)_**  
  
“Yeah, there’s no changing what’s already been done, but it’s just not right.”  
  
**“You have to keep moving, don’t you dare fall into despair King.”**  
  
**_(Go forth. Never stand still.)_**  
  
_“It is only a mortal body that you have lost. Your soul is still one and the same.”_  
  
**_(Turn back and you will age.)_**  
  
“I suppose you’re right. No matter what, I’m still myself.”  
  
_“Don’t stop, you will stagnate. Don’t lose sight of your purpose, or else you will have lost yourself.”_  
  
**_(Hesitate and you will die.)_**  
  
“Having lost my purpose once before, after the final battle with Aizen, I felt as though I had died in some way. There is no way I will let ever let that happen again, I will not lose myself a second time. I must keep going, even if I’m no longer alive. Thanks, Zangetsus. I needed that.”  
  
Ichigo slowly let the mental connection fade, still feeling Shirogetsu’s smirk and Kurogetsu’s reassuring smile. Instead of coming back to reality though, he instead slipped into a dreamless sleep, content for now with the answers he had found. Dealing with real life could wait until tomorrow.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Next morning found three people in the courtyard of Las Noches, under the crumbling dome. The odd trio must have made quite a sight. Ichigo with orange hair and black shihakusho, Shirogetsu, a negative copy of him wearing white, and Aizen, wearing his old arrancar uniform, minus the long haori, and his hair back to its ruffled and messy appearance. There was sure to be no interruptions, as the remains of the palace had been investigated and secured by those on guard duty. Everyone else had gone off to practice separately, trusting that Ichigo and Shirogetsu would be able to handle anything that might happen.  
  
Right now, both Shinigami were sitting after having a rough sparring session, with the Zanpakuto spirit standing off to the side watching. They had agreed earlier that morning that whatever good intentions Aizen might have, they in no way trusted him yet, so it would be best if no one was left alone with him. Ichigo had just been run through giving a demonstration of all his energy based attacks. Many of them had to be performed multiple times before they had been consistent enough for Aizen to consider them acceptable. Now they were taking a break from fighting to work on managing Ichigo’s wild energy.  
  
“Have you had any instruction at all in reiatsu control?” Aizen questioned.  
  
“No. I’ve never really needed to. I can somewhat control it to harden it for defense, or use it to strengthen my attacks, but that’s it.” Was the flat reply.  
  
“It would be beneficial for you to learn better control, because many of your attacks are energy based. As it is right now, your fighting style is very wasteful. Better control means you would lose less energy while fighting, while at the same time giving your techniques better precision and power. You would also gain the ability to finally seal your Zanpakuto. Lack of control is the only reason you are constantly in Shikai.”  
  
“Alright, I get your first point. But why would I ever want to seal Zangetsu?”  
  
“Whatever do you mean?” Aizen inquired. “It’s perfectly normal. You and Zaraki are the only Shinigami in all of Soul Society who do not seal them, and that is only because you are unable to.”  
  
“It just seems that it would be so… unfairly restrictive on the Zanpakuto spirit. I don’t like it.” Ichigo said. It was impossible for him to miss the look of satisfaction on his own sword spirit’s face when he said that.  
  
Aizen suddenly had a new respect for the boy sitting across from him. Not many Shinigami thought that much about their Zanpakuto. Most would only talk to their swords through Jinzen, or during a fight when they were released. But this young Shinigami not only thought of his sword as another spirit, but as a free, living being. He even allowed his spirits to freely manifest whenever they wanted, and do as they pleased.  
  
“Very well. You would not have to seal it if you didn’t want to, but everything else would still be beneficial for you to learn.”  
  
“Alright, fine. How do I do this?” Ichigo consented.  
  
“You said you can condense and harden your reiatsu?”  
  
“Yeah. What of it?”  
  
“Suppressing is a similar concept. Instead of pulling your reiatsu around yourself though, pull it into yourself. Condense it around your core, and hold it there.” Aizen received no acknowledgment aside from Ichigo shifting his focus away from him to try and do just that. However, he could not get it any further past the point of condensing. He pulled his reiatsu in until it began to build up and harden around him. He released it, and prepared to try a second time. Again, the same thing happened again, and with an irritated sigh, he released it again.  
  
“I don’t get it.” Ichigo complained flatly.  
  
“I believe the problem is that your control is to firm. Whenever you attempt to control it, you subconsciously make it into a more solid form to make it easier to handle. Reiatsu is not meant to be used in such a way. Imagine it as something more fluid. Instead of trying to hold onto it, try simply guiding it to make it accomplish what you want it to.” Aizen demonstrated by making his own reiatsu visible, and slowly pulling it in, seeming to simply absorb it. A few moments later, it was no longer visible, and Ichigo could barely sense it anymore. Ichigo was about to try again, but was interrupted by Shirogetsu coming over.  
  
**“Hey, want a tip?”** He asked.  
  
“What is it?”  
  
**“Remember what I taught ya when ya tried learning regeneration?”**  
  
“Yeah. What’s that got to do with this?”  
  
**“When ya were healing, how were ya controlling yer reiatsu? It wasn’t leaking out, right?”** Shirogetsu stated. **“Ya were keepin it inside yerself when ya were usin it, but it was never solid.”**  
  
Suddenly, it clicked. “Alright, got it. I need to manipulate it in the same way, just with a different purpose.”  
  
**“Exactly! Glad I could help.”** He said with a smirk.  
  
“I would have gotten it eventually.” Ichigo responded. He took a slow relaxing breath, closed his eyes, and concentrated. Slowly, the reiatsu radiating out gradually decreased, until it stopped flowing almost entirely. It stayed like that until he opened his eyes again, and his focus broke. Everyone present was hit with a powerful blast as the energy was released.  
  
Shirogetsu frowned, then reached over and whacked Ichigo over the head. **“Ya had it, but yer supposed to hold it once ya’ve got it, baka.”**  
  
“Hey, I thought it was impressive that I managed to do it at all. You know I suck at this sort of thing.” Ichigo snapped, rubbing his head.  
  
**“Sure, whatever. It was impressive, okay baka?”** Ichigo glared at him as Shirogetsu ruffled his hair and moved away, snickering to himself.  
  
“Oh, shut up.”  
  
“That actually was a very good attempt.” Aizen commented. He had only watched the interaction with amusement, but spoke up to keep the lesson moving. “Now, do it again, and hold it as long as you can. When it slips, just take a moment then do it again. This will help you get a better feel for it, even if you are unable to maintain it for long.”  
  
Ichigo gave him a _‘do I really have to?’_ look before voicing that very thought. At the lack of reply, he sighed, and returned his focus to his reiatsu. This was not going to be fun.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


The rest of the day had consisted of guard duty and group practice, and that was after spending all morning and part of the afternoon working on reiatsu manipulation. Suffice to say, it had been a very trying day for him. Now it was late in the evening, according to a clock he had seen just a few minutes ago. His Hollow half wanted to have a go at fighting with him, even though Ichigo just felt like resting. Eventually though Ichigo gave into the incessant nagging of Shirogetsu complaining that he needed to let loose a bit, because _‘a Hollow’s power is not supposed to be so confined and restricted’._  
  
So they were now in the courtyard of the dome once again, preparing to fight. This was not going to be a sword fight though. This was going to be a fight using any technique except for Zanjutsu. A moment passed, then Shirogetsu vanished, reappearing next to Ichigo to try and land a kick to his side. Ichigo blocked, his arm straining against the force, then spun to make a retaliatory punch to the Hollow’s face. Shirogetsu ducked down, the hit flying above his head, before springing up and catching Ichigo by surprise. Ichigo jerked back, but was not fast enough to avoid the hit completely. They separated, Ichigo wiping a streak of blood from his split lip.  
  
Shirogetsu smirked. **“Gonna have ta do better’n that if ya wanna beat me, King!”**  
  
“Shut up. I’m just getting started!” Ichigo retorted. This time Ichigo went first, shunpo’ing in front of his sword spirit, fist covered in black reiatsu. Shirogetsu sonido’d up to avoid becoming part of the floor Ichigo had just shattered. He began gathering energy in his own hands as he made to land a hit on Ichigo’s exposed back. Before he could make contact, Ichigo turned and opened his fists, revealing a cero as his hands stretched out in front of him. Shirogetsu was too close to dodge as the dark energy fired, so he released the energy he had been gathering in a blast of his own. But it had not had as long to charge, and was only able to lessen the impact as it hit him. He emerged singed, but mostly unharmed, and shot a bala at Ichigo. Shirogetsu took a moment as Ichigo dodged, then sonido’d behind him, aiming to hit him again.  
  
This pattern continued for a while, both fighters flitting around the battlefield, trying to take the other out. Shirogetsu, however, was becoming annoyed that he was beating Ichigo by a considerable margin. His King should be able to fight on the same level as him. They did have the same power after all. It was becoming clearer the longer the fight went on, who would win. Ichigo was certainly fighting strong and hard, but it was obvious that he was still holding back part of his strength, which he was steadily losing the more Shirogetsu beat him. He yelled at his King again, as he had already done a couple of times before during the course of the fight.  
  
**“Last warning, fight with all yer strength or you’ll regret it! You always hold back, even if you know yer opponent is just as strong or stronger than ya! You only ever go all out whenever it’s only you standing between your enemy and something else. That’s why ya get beat up so much! Ya could win if ya just stopped holdin’ back so much!”** Shirogetsu’s lecture had turned into a furious cry as his King still held back, not saying a word in reply.  
  
Suddenly Shirogetsu stopped, frowning at Ichigo before his expression hardened and his voice became startlingly cold. **“Let me show you what will happen if you keep fighting this way.”**  
  
Faster than Ichigo could keep up with, Shiro sonido’d next to Ichigo and jabbed his elbow as hard as he dared into Ichigo’s chest, right where his heart was. Sparks appeared in Ichigo’s vision as he felt the hit knock him off his feet and he crashed hard onto his back. He tried to scream from the pain, but no sound came out. He struggled simply to breathe, his breaths short, shallow, and agonizingly painful. It was a horrible feeling. It was the most pain he had ever felt without passing out, and though sparks and black spots filled his vision, the blackness did not wash over him. His body shook, and he was unable to move at all from the shock to his system.  
  
The pain was so great that he could not even attempt to focus enough to start healing himself. He was sure what would have happened if the hit had been any harder, and his thoughts were confirmed when Shirogetsu landed next to him, his face still hard and cold.  
  
**“Anyone could have killed you just like that, even easier if they had a weapon.”** Shirogetsu drew his sword for the first time in the fight, and pointed it at Ichigo, anger radiating from his blade.  
  
**“Yer only saving grace right now is that you were fighting me, and not an enemy.”** He stabbed his sword into the ground just inches away from Ichigo’s throat, startling him.  
  
**“So next time, fight with all ya got or you will die when you find someone stronger than you. Got it?”** He finished. Ichigo couldn’t reply, but through the mental connection the sword spirit felt him understanding, and felt his regret. With a sigh, his expression softened slightly and he sheathed his sword.  
  
Ignoring his own various injuries, he kneeled over Ichigo and pulled his shirt open to inspect the damage, sending another shudder through Ichigo. It was already an awful deep purple, almost black color. Shirogetsu didn’t think even he would be able to recover from such an injury on his own. He began using regeneration, but stopped when Ichigo managed to scream.  
  
**“Should I knock ya out fer this?”** Shirogetsu asked. An almost imperceptible nod was his answer as Ichigo’s breath stuttered again. He placed his hand on Ichigo’s forehead and gently pushed with his reiatsu, relaxing a bit as his wielder went limp, eyes closing, and head falling to the side. He began the healing again, both hands back over the bruise marking the severe injury.  
  
Had he been too harsh this time, he wondered. **_‘He needs to learn.’_ ** Shirogetsu thought harshly, but he couldn’t stop the strange feeling that was weighing him down.  
  
_“You feel guilty for hurting him so badly.”_ Kurogetsu stated in the back of his mind.  
  
**“He needs to learn.”** Shirogetsu insisted, but it was more to convince himself than anything.  
  
_“There are better ways, you know that. What you did could have just broken any trust you had gained from him. You very nearly killed him.”_ The old man’s voice turned accusing.  
**  
****“I know, I just get so fed up with him sometimes, he’s such a pain to deal with.”** Shirogetsu spoke quietly, knowing he was in the wrong.  
  
_“Just remember that you are him. You and him would be exactly the same if you were not a Hollow.”_ Shirogetsu visibly winced, and his other half fell silent, knowing he had hit a nerve that Shirogetsu would be thinking about. He returned his focus to the healing, which was taking longer than he would have liked. Not for the first time he wished that regeneration worked the same on organs as it did on everything else, and wasn’t so difficult. He looked up when Rukia suddenly landed in front of him.  
  
“Captains have arrived. We need everyone ready to fight. What happened here?” Rukia demanded. Thankfully she didn’t notice how bad Ichigo’s injury was because his hands were covering it.  
  
**“We got too rough with a spar. He’s gonna be outta commision for a while.”** Shirogetsu replied shortly.  
  
“Then take him somewhere safe and you come help us instead.”  
  
**“There’s kinda a problem with that. I’m in the middle of healing him, and can’t stop right now, as much as I’d love to go fight.”**  
  
“Fine. You can keep working on him, and I’ll go help them. Come as soon as you can.” Rukia left in a burst of shunpo, heading back to the others. Looking back at his work, he realized the injury had only healed a little bit. Several more minutes had gone by, and progress was still slow.  
  
**“Dang, this is taking too long!”** He worried.  
  
“Perhaps I could help?” Shirogetsu turned to see Captain Unohana behind him. Next to her was Captain Koryaku. The regeneration stopped as he stood to confront them.  
  
**“Stay away from him. I don’t have time to deal with you.”** Shirogetsu snarled. Unohana stepped forward, and he reached for his sword.  
  
Shunsui spoke up, saying, “We don’t want to fight, we only want everyone to come to Soul Society so we can work things out. We spoke with Yama-jii, and he agreed to talk with you.”  
  
**“Yeah right. The little Kuchiki chick told us what you were trying to do, and King saw for himself what you did to his human body. You killed us, permanently. Like I would believe you!”** His attention shifted back to Unohana as she stepped forward again. Before he could attack, Shunsui had gotten behind him, put him in a nelson hold, and lifted him off the ground. Shirogetsu struggled, cursing, but was unable to free himself as Unohana slipped a thick collar around his throat, and he felt it clamp down on his reiatsu. He had just started to slip free when a firm hand grabbed his wrist and clipped a bracelet on him, then did the same thing to the other wrist. Finally managing to free himself, he now stood between the two Captains, and tried to hide his concern of his position behind his anger.  
  
“Bakudo 61: Rikujokoro!” Shirogetsu was caught in the six beams of light, effectively pinned in place. Shunsui moved to Ichigo’s side as Unohana cast the kido.  
  
“Do not put the collar on him just yet, his healing needs to be finished first. Only use the bracelets for now.” Unohana stated. Shunsui nodded and did as he was requested. By now, Shirogetsu was furious, and almost free. A shattering sound could be heard as he broke the spell.  
  
**“What are you doing?! I told you to leave him alone! He’s hurt and I still need to heal him!”** Shirogetsu got between Ichigo and Shunsui, even though he knew it was pointless with his powers restricted, and pushed Shunsui away. Surprisingly, the Captains backed off as he turned back to Ichigo, who was still struggling to breathe.  
  
“There is nothing you can do right now, neither of you are in any condition to fight.” Unohana stated gently. It was true. Shiro had not regenerated any of his own wounds, he had been so focused on treating Ichigo. Resigned to the situation, he tried to end his manifestation so he could materialise again later, only to find himself unable to.  
  
**“How are you forcing my manifestation?”** He demanded.  
  
“Those bracelets are made using the same technology as the tenshintai doll used for bankai training. As long as both of you wear those, Ichigo’s reiatsu will provide enough energy to maintain your form. You are easier to keep under our watch if you are not constantly coming and going. It is not a good idea for you to be doing that right now anyway in your current state.” Unohana explained.  
  
As much as he hated to agree with her, even he had to admit he was in bad shape. No longer able to regenerate or fight with the suppressive collar, he gave a defeated sigh.  
  
**“Alright, fine. My only condition is that we’re not separated.”** Shirogetsu stated.  
  
Unohana nodded in agreement. “That can be done.” She had been quietly preparing kaido in her hands. She reached out and let it wash over Shiro as he turned to look at her.  
  
**“What did you just do?!”** He demanded.  
  
“Don’t worry, it is merely a healing technique. Now, sleep.” Shirogetsu struggled to process this as he relaxed, and his thoughts became cloudy.  
  
“It’s a tranquilizer.” He realized. Completely exhausted, he collapsed to the ground, and could hardly protest when the pink Captain hauled him to his feet and pulled Shirogetsu’s arm over his shoulder, his other hand around his waist. Shunsui half walked, half carried him to the large manta ray Unohana had called out. Unohana was just setting Ichigo inside, and Shunsui picked Shirogetsu up to do the same.  
  
Minazuki closed it’s mouth, and everything went dark. With the last bit of Shirogetsu’s fading mind, only one thought remained. **_‘Protect.’_ ** He reached out in the darkness and grabbed Ichigo, pulling him into his grip and holding him close. ****_‘I will protect you, King.’_ With that one silent promise, Shirogetsu finally let sleep take him, making sure he never let go of his wielder.  
  



	14. Spiritual Battles

Rukia, Renji, and the Captains had been discussing the current situation with Soi-Fon, Jushiro, and surprisingly, Shinji was there as well. Though the traitors had been expecting a fight, the Captains had only wanted to talk with them. Apparently, the Head Captain was willing to negotiate, they only needed to come back to Soul Society and not cause any more trouble. At first, they had adamantly refused, but Jushiro had managed to convince them, and stopped Rukia as she was about to go find Ichigo.

“Another Captain has already gone to retrieve him. They will be meeting up with us back in Soul Society.” None of them could find it in them to mistrust the kind Captain, except for one.

“Alright, I’ll come.” Rukia agreed.

“What about everyone else?” Jushiro asked. One by one the rest agreed, except Aizen.

“I have nothing to say to Soul Society. It has already been made known that you and I will never reach an understanding.” Aizen turned and walked away, leaving to find Ichigo. He was the only one that Aizen considered an ally right now, knowing full well that the others still hated him. He trusted the boy, and was grateful that he had given him another chance. He would make sure he did not disappoint Ichigo.

Doing a quick search for signatures, he found that both Ichigo and Shirogetsu’s reiatsus were very low. Now concerned, he vanished in a burst of shunpo, reappearing seconds later where he had sensed them. There was no sign of either part of Ichigo, but he did see the two Captains climbing aboard a giant manta ray. He immediately confronted them.

“Judging from the absence of Ichigo and the presence of Captain Unohana’s shikai, would I be correct in assuming that Minazuki currently has the boy and his Hollow?” The Captains looked at him but did not move from their positions.

“Yes, that would be correct.” Unohana confirmed.

“For what reason could you need it? Surely you did not get into a fight, seeing how both of you are completely unharmed.”

“Nope, there wasn’t any fight. At least, not on our part. Both of ‘em were already pretty beat up by the time we got here.” Shunsui informed him. “They must’ve had a pretty nasty go at each other.”

“I see. Are you on your way back to Soul Society?”

“Yes, we are.” Unohana replied.

“I shall accompany you. I wish to remain by Ichigo’s side.” Aizen said.

“Alright then.” Shunsui pulled out a communicator and requested a portal be opened. A few moments later a garganta appeared. Aizen ran beside them as they flew through the black void, heading back to Soul Society.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Unohana, Minazuki, and Aizen landed in front of the Squad Four barracks. Minazuki released the two souls it had been carrying, and the observers were surprised at how tightly Shirogetsu held Ichigo to himself, even when both of them were unconscious. Unohana recalled her Zanpakuto as Isane came running out with a small team trailing behind her, having sensed her Captain return with her Shikai. The medic team seemed nervous around Aizen, but chose not to say anything about Unohana’s decision as they went to work.  
  
When they attempted to move the boys to stretchers, they were not able to because Shirogetsu kept a death grip on Ichigo’s arm. Working around the inconvenience, the healers managed to move them to a private room, and set them on futons placed side by side on the floor. Aizen moved to sit off to the side as Unohana and Isane sat by Ichigo and the Hollow’s sides, respectively, and began working. Finally able to see the extent of the damage on both fighters as their shirts were removed to reach the wounds, Aizen and Unohana were left to wonder just what happened between them.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

After about an hour of working on the young Shinigami and his pale twin, Shirogetsu was the first to wake up. It was slow, his thoughts still hazy as the effects of the Kaido wore off. He didn’t recognize the silver haired person next to him, but saw Unohana and a nurse working on Ichigo as he looked over.  
  
She noticed him watching her, and greeted him. “Hello, Shiro-san was it?”  
  
He nodded, then requested. **“No need fer honorifics with us.”**  
  
“Very well. Shiro then. How are you feeling?” She asked.  
  
Shirogetsu scowled. **“I’m fine. How’s Ichigo?”** He sat up, ignoring the bandages wrapped around him, focusing instead on Ichigo as he finally released his grip on his wielder. Unohana was finishing a healing Kaido on Ichigo, while the nurse was adjusting a bag of fluids connected to the young Shinigami’s arm.  
  
“Ichigo is stabilized now, but he was quite seriously hurt. Would you mind telling us what happened?”  
  
**“That’s none of yer business.”** Shiro instantly replied.  
  
“Oh, but it is. We did just finish healing both of you after all.” Shirogetsu flinched as Unohana’s smile became chilling. He reluctantly told her what happened, noting the disapproval of everyone in the room.  
  
**“I realized after, that I had nearly killed him because I’d been to harsh. That’s why I wanted to heal him myself.”** He finished.  
  
“I see. You felt guilty and wanted to take responsibility for what happened.” Unohana was starting to understand him, even if just a little.  
  
**“Yeah, pretty much.”** Shirogetsu replied dejectedly. **“The other ‘Getsu already chewed me out fer letting my frustration get the better of me. Maybe I wouldn’t have hurt him so bad if I wasn’t a Hollow. Zanpakuto are supposed to protect their wielder, which I clearly didn’t do.”** He finished bitterly.  
  
“Pardon me, but did you just say you are his Zanpakuto?” Unohana inquired, curious now.  
  
**“Yeah. Me and the other spirit are both his Zanpakuto. I’m just the Hollow half, which is why I don’t have two swords like he does.”** He gestured to the Zanpakuto laying off to the side on the floor, the one white sword and two black ones easily distinguishable.  
  
“I take it your other half is the smaller blade then.”  
  
**“Yeah.”** The conversation fell silent for a moment before Unohana spoke again.  
  
“Just because you are a Hollow, I don’t think that makes you something bad. If anything, I think you are lost and at war with yourself. The raw instinct of a Hollow constantly fighting with the Zanpakuto’s desire to protect. You simply have not found a balance between the two natures yet. Am I wrong?” Unohana asked.  
  
Shirogetsu was shocked that she had seen through him so clearly, though he didn't let it show. Wanting to be done with the conversation, he lay on his side and pulled the blanket up over his head. Acknowledging that Shirogetsu was done talking, Unohana finished before standing up to leave.  
  
“I will be back to check on you both shortly.” The Captain left, Isane and the nurse following close behind. As soon as Shirogetsu was sure they were gone, he threw the blanket off and sat up again, his eyes meeting Aizen’s, who he had forgotten was there.  
  
**“I don’t suppose you’d like to ask questions too?”** He asked. His tone made it clear he was not going to be giving any answers.  
  
“No. I gather more than enough information just by listening and observing.” Aizen replied. Shiro pulled his legs close to his chest and rested his head on crossed arms, glaring at nothing in particular.  
  
**_‘The only reason I agreed to come was because we weren’t in a position to argue, but now I really just want to leave.’_ ** He absently reached up and pulled at the collar, wishing he could break it. Ichigo had been fitted with a collar as well, so he wouldn’t be able to break it either. That left one other immediate option, though it was not one he was happy about.  
  
**“How can I get these off?”** Shirogetsu asked.  
  
“Unfortunately, you cannot. They are a stronger type of suppressor than you might have seen before. It cannot simply be broken by force, only removed by a kido key, which I do not have. The bracelets appear to have been made the same way.” Aizen replied.  
  
**“Ah. Okay then. By the way, I meant to ask. Why are you here anyway, instead of with everyone else? It was just me and King when the Captains showed up.”**  
  
“I found you as they were leaving, and came along.” Aizen replied.  
  
**“Why?”** Shirogetsu didn't trust any motives Aizen might have.  
  
Aizen was silent for a moment. “I do not wish to lose the only person I currently trust and consider an ally. I lost everyone and everything I cared about when I left the Soul Society, and do not want to lose it all again. I suppose I am trying to start again from nothing, and Ichigo is the first one who has tried to understand me, even after all that has happened.”  
  
Shirogetsu gave Aizen his full attention. **“What exactly happened between Ichigo being knocked out after the meeting and you returning my sword form to him?”**  
  
So Aizen told him about Ichigo being thrown into Muken, how they had talked about why Aizen did what he did, their talk of changing Soul Society and rebuilding the corrupt system, Ichigo deciding to give him another chance and breaking his bindings, and finally how the two of them worked together to escape.  
  
“He risked and lost first his powers, trying to stop me, and now he has lost his human life because he has joined forces with me. The least I can do to show I’m making an effort to change is to assist and watch out for him.” Aizen explained.  
  
Anger burned in Shirogetsu at hearing the reply, though it was not directed at Aizen. As a Zanpakuto spirit, it was his job to take care of Ichigo. But he hadn’t, and it was his fault they were in this situation in the first place. Ichigo wouldn’t have let himself been captured so easily, and he shouldn’t have either, especially after he had been the one to put Ichigo out of commission. And now they were being taken care of by Aizen and the Shinigami, who he considered enemies.  
  
**“Just so ya know, I don’t trust you or your intentions, and neither does Ichigo. So don’t think I’ll let him rely on you for anything. He may be trying to understand you, but he doesn’t completely trust you yet. After everything that’s happened, it’s going to take a lot for ya ta get ta that point with him.”** Shirogetsu informed him.  
  
“Of course. That’s completely understandable.” Aizen agreed.  
  
Silence settled in the room again as the conversation died, though it was not entirely uncomfortable. Shirogetsu’s mind wondered as he started to doze off, tired from being healed.  
  
**_‘I can only imagine how things are going to go now that we’re back here. The last meeting with the Shinigami was supposed to be just a talk, and it ended in chaos. It’s probably wishful thinking to hope it goes any better this time.’_ **  
  
He opened his eyes and looked up as the door opened again, and Unohana returned with three sets of Shihakusho to replace their ruined clothing. She handed a set to Aizen, and tried to give one to Shirogetsu who hesitated, then refused, even though his shirt had been thrown away and his hakama were torn.  
  
“What’s wrong?” Unohana inquired as she placed the remaining set next to Ichigo.  
  
**“I don’t wear black. I hate it.”** Shirogetsu sounded agitated.  
  
“Unfortunately, I don’t believe we have anything white like what you had.”  
  
**“Do you have anything else at all?”** He asked.  
  
“I can let you take a look through some extra clothing we have, and you can see if there is anything you like.” Unohana replied. “In the meantime, at least put this on.” She separated the white undershirt and dropped it in his lap. He put it on, but left it hanging open.  
  
**“That would be great.”** Shirogetsu stood and followed her out of the room, throwing a warning look over his shoulder as he walked out. He still didn’t like Aizen, but after their conversation, he trusted him not to do anything to Ichigo. Unohana led him down the hall to a small storage room, and pointed out a box of clothes in the back.  
  
“Many of the pieces are odds and ends, but feel free to try on anything you want.” Unohana stated.  
  
**“Thanks.”**  
  
Shirogetsu pulled out the box and began sifting through it as Unohana waited outside the door. It was only a short while later that he came out, satisfied with what he had found. He was wearing the white shitagi under a deep purple kosode that had a white crescent moon and bright stars on it, resembling a night sky, and dark blue hakama with a black sash.  
  
“Very nice.” Unohana complimented. She was going to say more, but stopped when she saw Ichigo coming down the hall, with Aizen close behind. They had both changed into the new clothes, and Ichigo was carrying his and Shirogetsu’s swords. A look of relief crossed his face when he saw his Zanpakuto, but it quickly changed to anger.  
  
“Where were you?!” Ichigo demanded. “And why was I left alone with him?!” He pointed behind him at Aizen, who hung back and remained silent.  
  
**“Hold on…”** Shirogetsu began, but fell silent as Ichigo crossed his arms and glared at him.  
  
“Well?” He pressed.  
  
**“She brought me to find new clothes.”** Shirogetsu gestured towards Unohana. **“I thought you’d still be out for a while. As for why we’re here, can that wait for a bit?”**  
  
Several seconds passed before Ichigo nodded his head. “Fine. As long as you make sure to tell me later.”  
  
“I am actually curious, Ichigo-san, why you are up already. As Shiro has already said, you should not have been awake for quite some time.” Unohana stated.  
  
Ichigo glanced at her, acknowledging her question, before returning his focus to Shirogetsu. “You left. How could I not notice you were gone? I had to come look for you.”  
  
Shirogetsu was stunned at Ichigo’s explanation. **_‘He sensed me leave? And woke up just to come find me?’_ **  
  
“Now, if that’s everything, someone mind explaining these?” Ichigo held up a hand, displaying the bracelet, and pointed to the collar with the other.  
  
**“That actually related to the reason we’re here.”** Shirogetsu pulled at his own collar absently, his sleeve slipping down to show his bracelet.  
  
Ichigo suddenly grabbed Shirogetsu’s collar and pulled him close. Shirogetsu reached up and held Ichigo’s wrist, startled by the action.  
  
“Forget what I said about talking later. You owe me an explanation NOW, as to why we’re here, and why we have no powers. You weren’t knocked out after our fight. That means you know what happened. You’re the only one I can trust to give me the truth, so you had better be honest. Got it?” Ichigo’s tone was harsh.  
  
Shirogetsu barely managed a _‘Yes’_ , Ichigo’s tight grip on the already snug collar making it difficult to speak. He let go of Ichigo as his collar was released and took a step back, only to move forward again to catch Ichigo as he lost his balance. The little bit of Ichigo’s reiatsu that could be sensed began to fluctuate madly, and he swayed on his feet as his vision blurred.  
  
“You should not over exert yourself. You’ve only just recovered, and should not even be up yet. I noticed you have also removed your IV, which was keeping your reiatsu and vitals stable. You can have your discussion later, right now you need to rest.” Unohana was clearly not pleased with Ichigo as she moved to support him, and Shirogetsu took his sword so Ichigo wasn’t carrying so much weight on his back.  
  
**_‘My sword feels so heavy without any powers. How was he carrying all three swords by himself?’_ ** He wondered. Ichigo was silent as they started walking back to the room, trying not to trip with his lack of balance. They were only part way to their destination when they saw Nanao approaching them.  
  
“Looks like resting will have to wait.” Aizen commented as the Lieutenant made her way over to them.  
  
“Hello Nanao. What can I do for you?” Unohana greeted.  
  
“I was to inform you that there will be a meeting at Squad one in a half hour. Kurosaki and his allies are to all be there.” Nanao told her.  
  
“Thank you. We will be there.” Unohana confirmed. Nanao left, and they continued to their room.  
  
“We’ll need to leave shortly, but first we must stabilize you again.” Unohana told Ichigo as she sat him on the floor and had him pull his sleeve up. “You should not have removed your IV line.”  
  
Ichigo reluctantly had to agree, relieved to be lowered to the floor where he could not fall again. Working quickly and efficiently, Unohana reattached the line where it had been pulled out. She tied a bandage around his upper arm and shoulder, attached the bag to it, then wound a bandage down the length of his arm to hold the line in place. It would also serve to prevent Ichigo from messing with it again. It only took a few minutes for Ichigo’s equilibrium to return and for him to start feeling much better.  
  
“If I find out you tried to take this off again without my permission, I can assure you that you will find yourself tranquilized until you are completely healed. Am I clear?” Unohana questioned.  
  
Ichigo nodded nervously under her stern look. “Yeah. Sorry, it won’t happen again.” He knew perfectly well that she was serious, and did not want to find himself in that situation when he didn’t even know the details about his current one.  
  
Satisfied, Unohana stood, and gestured for Ichigo to do the same. He did so with no problem, and adjusted his sleeve to hide most of the bandages.  
  
Unohana spoke again. “It is time to leave, or we will be late. Should I expect there to be any problems at the meeting this time?” She asked.  
  
Shirogetsu cut in. **“There better not be! I don’t wanna deal with any more crap today, King.”** Ichigo, who had been about to answer, closed his mouth, not sure how to respond to the interruption.  
  
He finally settled with, “I’ll try to play nice, but I don’t guarantee that everything’ll go smoothly.”  
  
“Try not to cause any conflict, if you can help it. Things are tense as it is, and we are down yet another Captain from your and Aizen’s escape. Komamura did survive, but is no longer able to fill the role of Captain.” She informed them.  
  
“What? How is he not a Captain if he survived?” Ichigo voiced his confusion, as well as the confusion of everyone else.  
  
“You will understand once we are at the meeting hall. I’m sure he will be there.” Unohana replied. “Currently, we have no explanation as to what exactly happened, though it’s likely he knows and is simply not telling us.”  
  
Much of the rest of the walk was in silence, and it was not long before they reached the meeting hall.  
  
“Mind yourself and everything should be just fine.” Unohana advised. She led the way in, Ichigo, Shirogetsu, and Aizen following close behind. They moved to join the rest of their group standing as Unohana stood next to Shunsui and Jushiro. Strangely, they and the eldest Captains were the only ones there, as well as a large wolf-like dog sitting next to Yamamoto.  
  
“Where have you been?” Rukia quietly asked him as the meeting started.  
  
“Squad 4. Had some stuff to take care of.” Ichigo replied shortly, trying to pay attention. He turned his focus to Yamamoto, who had started speaking.  
  
“This meeting has been called so that current issues may be discussed, and hopefully resolved. Thus the reason most of the Captains are absent, I wish to keep this relatively quiet. Now, I wish to know what it is that you have against Gotei and the Soul Society.”  
  
Ichigo was surprised at how different the tone of the conversation was, compared to the previous time. Nonetheless, he answered. “I have no issue with either one, my problem is with the way things are done around here. From what I’ve been told, Soul Society is managed by the Gotei, who in turn is governed by the Central 46. Above the Central 46 is the Soul King, who’s in charge of pretty much anything. My problem is with the Central 46 and the Soul King. As far as I’m concerned, the Central 46 are a bunch of idiots who refuse to accept anything they don’t like, and don’t accept anything different.  
  
“They’re holding the Soul Society back, and are not allowing for any positive progress to be made. The Soul King is the one at the top, and even he isn’t doing anything to help. He could make things change, but he hasn’t done anything either. All I want is to change the way things work, and everyone who has joined me, did so because they support me and what I’m trying to do. I’m making a rift in the Soul Society to find out who will join me in my cause, and who will stand in our way.  
  
“I didn’t want this to turn into something huge, but that option’s clearly come and gone. Especially since I know exactly what you did to me and why you did it. You killed me, and are trying to force me to assimilate to your ways, all because that’s what you were told to do. It’s just something else that’s happened because of the way things work around here. Sometimes authority needs to be challenged, and clearly nobody’s taken that position. So me and my friends are doing us all a favor and starting something ourselves.” Ichigo finished. It had taken a great amount of control on his part to stay as calm as he did, and it paid off when there was no explosive reactions. If anything, Shunsui and Jushiro looked impressed with his speech.  
  
“I see.” Yamamoto’s annoyance was barely noticeable, but Ichigo caught something else in his eyes, though he couldn’t tell what it was.  
  
“Your reason for doing this is understandable, though I am still obligated to prevent you from causing any further trouble. You cannot change an entire organization with just a handful of people. Surely you can see that this will get you nowhere except into deeper trouble. Though there is likely nothing I can say that will change your mind, I’m sure you realize how difficult such a thing would be.” Yamamoto said.  
  
Ichigo was about to bite back a sharp reply, when Byakuya leaned over and whispered something to him. “Listen carefully to how he speaks. Everything he is saying holds a double meaning.”  
  
Ichigo thought about this as he repeated the Head Captain’s words in his mind, changing the words to fit their other meaning. _‘I understand why you are doing this. I will not stop you even though I am obligated to do so. You cannot do this with just a few people, you will need more allies. You will be in more danger the farther you go with this, though I know the danger and difficulty will not stop you.’_  
  
_‘Is it possible he supports me on this? Is he indirectly giving me permission to do whatever I want in order to achieve my goal?’_ Ichigo wondered. He gave Byakuya a curious look, to which he replied with a small nod. Ichigo fought to keep the sadistic grin off his face. _‘He has no idea what he’s just done, giving me free reign. I am so going to take full advantage of this freedom he’s just given me.’_  
  
“I know exactly what I’m doing. And no, I will not be changing my mind or backing down on this. We started it, and we intend to see it all the way through. Isn’t that right?” Ichigo asked his friends and allies. A genuine smile formed as they all agreed with him, displaying the same determination and resolve to finish what they started.  
  
So fast that it could have been his imagination, he thought he saw the smallest twitch of a smile on Yamamoto’s face before his expression smoothed out again.  
  
“Very well. If you insist on following through with this, then we are at an impasse. For the time being, you are all to be escorted to Squad 1 barracks and placed under house arrest there. You are free to go anywhere within the division, but are not to leave the Squads grounds.” He commanded.  
  
“I shall take them.” Unohana volunteered. Head Captain nodded in agreement.  
  
“Captain Unohana, you may take Kurosaki and his friends to the barracks. Aizen Sosuke, if you would stay behind for a minute.”  
  
Ichigo stepped forward, ready to protest, but stopped when Aizen put a hand in front of him. “Go on. I’ll be just a moment.”  
  
Ichigo hesitated, then nodded and stepped back. “Let’s go, Unohana.” He turned and led the way out of the meeting hall. Yamamoto beckoned Unohana over and whispered something to her, before sending her to catch up to Ichigo. He turned to Aizen as they left.  
  
“Let’s have a talk, shall we?”

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Aizen stood before the Captains, watching Unohana lead the others out. When they were gone, he turned to Head Captain.  
  
“So what might this be about?” He asked.  
  
“We have established that Kurosaki will not be a problem, but I want to know your motives. I know neither you or him are submissive to other’s wills, but you are much quieter with your thoughts. Are you going to be causing a disaster within Seireitei again?” Yamamoto questioned.  
  
“Now, why would I answer something like that if I was going to? But I’ll be honest, no, I will not. At least, not anything that Kurosaki wouldn’t do. I’ll try to contain myself this time.” Aizen answered.  
  
Jushiro spoke up, saying, “Even if you will not be causing trouble for Soul Society, how can we be sure that Kurosaki is safe with you? You are not exactly someone that we trust.”  
  
“I assure you, I have no ill intent with Ichigo. We are working together now, and I will be doing what I can to help and protect him. He is a valuable person to me right now, because he is helping me start over again from nothing. So there is no need to worry about me doing anything to harm him.” He replied.  
  
Shunsui joined the conversation. “Just curious, have you done any training with him? His reiatsu seemed a bit less wild than usual when we came to get him.”  
  
Aizen looked at him. “Yes, actually. We were working on reiatsu control.”  
  
“Seems to me that that is evidence of him wanting to help the boy.” Jushiro commented to Shunsui, who nodded in agreement.  
  
“And I will continue to teach him, seeing how much of this situation is being left to him. He will need all the training he can get, for when he stirs things up and it gets nasty.” Aizen remarked.  
  
“The kid’s a dual wielder, isn’t he?” Shunsui asked. Aizen nodded, and the pink Captain made note of this information.  
  
“Getting back on topic,” Jushiro began, “I believe Aizen has shown through his commitment to Kurosaki that he truly has no bad intentions.”  
  
A snarl from the wolf beside Yamamoto caught everyone’s attention. Aizen turned his attention to him, not knowing what to make of the large dog. Noticing his reiatsu, a quick analysis answered his question.  
  
“Komamura?” Aizen seemed somewhat bewildered to find the wolf was the former Captain.  
  
Komamura’s reply was in a rough, almost growling voice. “Yes. This is the result of your attempt to kill me.”  
  
“... Care to explain? I had not thought anything like this would have resulted from my actions.”  
  
“This is part of a curse that was meant to be kept hidden. I will not tell you anything more.” Komamura replied, then stood and walked out of the room.  
  
“...” There was a long silence from everyone in the room. Aizen turned back to Yamamoto.  
  
“If that is all, I’d like to regroup with Ichigo and the others.” Aizen requested.  
  
“You may leave.” Yamamoto dismissed him. Aizen left the meeting hall and started in the direction of the First’s barracks. Distracted by his own thoughts, he didn’t notice a certain person until he practically ran into them. He cursed his carelessness as they turned and dropped the stack of paperwork they had been carrying, a look of shock on their face. She was one of the last people he wanted to see right now.  
  
“Is… Is that you, Captain Aizen?” Momo managed to say. He was silent for a moment, then nodded. When she seemed to recover from her shock, the threw herself at him and held onto him in a tight hug.  
  
“It really is you!” She cried. Internally, Aizen sighed as he held her. His day just got a lot more difficult.  



	15. Lost Souls

Aizen stared at the girl he held in his arms, not quite sure how to react to the sudden embrace. He held her for a moment longer, then gently grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away.

“Himamori. Look at me.” He requested

She did, rubbing her sleeve on her face to try her tears. “I thought I’d never see you again. I’m happy I did, but why are you here? I thought you’d been locked away.”

“They’ve given me another chance.” Aizen replied, while at the same time thinking, _‘They know better than to get in the way of me or Ichigo.’_

“Really? That’s great!” Momo replied. He helped her pick up the papers she had dropped, and handed them to her.

“Where were you going?” She asked.

“To the First’s barracks. I just came from a meeting with the Head-Captain.” Aizen replied.

“Can I come with you?” She asked.

“Don’t you have to deliver those reports?” He reminded her.

“Ah, yeah.” She looked back at the papers in her hands and hesitated.

“Here, let me see those.” He took the stack of papers and tapped a passing Shinigami on the shoulder. A brief discussion, and they walked away to deliver the papers.

“Come with me. I’ll show you what’s happening in the shadows of Soul Society.” He received a confused nod from Momo as she reached for the hand he had offered. In an instant, he held her hand and they flashed away, leaving no trace of ever being there.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Ichigo sat backwards in the desk chair, arms resting on the back of the chair, watching as the little Captain went around organising the room. Mostly just a few things here and there, but apparently it had been enough to prompt a cleaning session. Currently, it was just the two of them keeping each other company. Byakuya had taken the other room with Rukia and Renji, so they were getting their own room set up. Ichigo was bored though, he didn’t even have Shirogetsu to talk to right now. The spirit was in his inner world, his presence withdrawn to the back of his mind. The two people in the room looked up when the door slid open and Aizen walked in, Momo following close behind him. Toshiro froze, then snapped at Aizen.  
  
“Why is she with you?!” Memories from the past few times she had been around him flashed through his mind. He moved between them, keeping Momo at his back.  
  
“Shiro-chan?” Momo’s confused voice sounded from behind him.  
  
Ichigo had stood and come to stand in front of Toshiro. “Hey. Nothing’s gonna happen.”  
  
Toshiro seemed to snap out of it, and reluctantly backed down as Ichigo moved away. Now significantly calmer, he rephrased his question. “Why do you have Momo with you?”  
  
“I ran into her on my way here, and brought her along to explain things.” Was the reply.  
  
“Ah…” Toshiro trailed off, thought left incomplete.  
  
“Since she’s already here, she may as well join us. We were just gonna talk about what comes next, once you got back.” Ichigo said.  
  
“I suppose. Would you like to stay and listen Momo?” Toshiro asked.  
  
“Yes! Of course!” She replied.  
  
“Aizen, would you go let the others know we’re ready to start? They’re right next door.” Ichigo asked. Aizen nodded and left the room. This was going to be an interesting conversation.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Orihime stood in the hallway outside Uryu’s classroom, waiting for his last class of the day to let out. She didn’t have to wait long before students started leaving. When Uryu came out, she reached out and gave a quick tug on his sleeve. He glanced over at her, finished his conversation with his classmate, then turned and walked past her. Following the silent signal, she started walking along with him. A minute passed in silence before one of them spoke.  
  
“Was Kurosaki-Kun here today?” She asked, knowing they had some classes together. “I haven't seen him for several days now.”  
  
“No. Sorry, Inoue.” Uryu replied. Her face fell.  
  
“Oh. Okay.” Even though Ichigo did used to disappear for days on end, it hadn’t happened in quite a while. And that’s what had her worried. “I wonder where he is?”  
  
“...” Uryu debated for a moment before sharing his thoughts. “There was a lot of Shinigami hanging around right before he disappeared. Maybe he got called to Soul Society for something, because I can’t sense him anywhere in town.”  
  
“But for him to just leave without anyone knowing… He hasn’t even been sending Kon to school for him. What if something really horrible has happened?” Orihime stopped walking, prompting Uryu to stop and turn back to her.  
  
“This is Kurosaki we’re talking about. Even if something did happen, he can take care of himself. I’m sure he’s fine.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, but didn’t get to see her reaction when she suddenly looked up at the sky.  
  
“Is that…?” She trailed off  
  
“The child Arrancar, Nel?” He finished for her, looking up himself.  
  
Their question was answered when Nel and her companion fell out of the sky, Nel crashing into Orihime’s arms and Pesche attempting to do the same to him. They ignored Pesche’s complaint of _‘You dodged, how cruel!’_ in favor of finding out why Nel was crying.  
  
“What’s wrong Nel?” Orihime asked the little Arrancar. She looked up from where she was holding onto Orihime, tears still in her eyes.  
  
“Hueco Mundo’s… been attacked! Where’s Itsygo? Nel.. Nel needs his help!” She exclaimed.  
  
“Not to change the subject, but where’s the other one that’s usually with you? The big guy?” Uryu questioned.  
  
“He got taken when we were attacked! That’s why Nel needs Itsygo’s help!”  
  
“We were actually wondering where Ichigo was ourselves.” Uryu stated. “Urahara might know more about what’s going on. Maybe we should go have a talk with him.”  
  
Orihime nodded and they started walking again, Pesche finally removing himself from the ground and shouting that they were just going to leave himself behind. He shut up as Uryu punched him back into the ground and kept on walking.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Kisuke, Uryu, Chad, Pesche, and Orihime with Nel in her lap, sat around a low table, Ururu handing each of them a cup of tea. Chad had met up with them when he came to see what the spiritual activity was about. They thanked Ururu, then turned their focus back to the reason for the visit as she left.  
  
“I don’t want a lengthy discussion, just some answers if you have them.” Uryu requested.  
  
“Very well. But first, can I ask why you have two Arrancar with you?” Kisuke replied cheerily.  
  
“I’m Nel, and Pesche is my brother!” Nel replied. “We wanted ta find Itsygo, cause we need his help!  
  
“I see.” Urahara responded. “We can discuss that in a moment. After all, I assume your questions are related?” He asked Uryu.  
  
“Yes. Do you know anything about all the strange activity that’s been happening the past few days? Or why Ichigo disappeared around then?” Uryu asked.  
  
“Was there an emergency that Kurosaki-Kun went to help with?” Orihime added.  
  
“Alright, one thing at a time now. All I know is that a few days before all that happened the other day, two Captains joined Ichigo here in the World of the Living. As for what happened the other day, Ichigo and the Captains he was with met up with two other Captains, and they all returned to Soul Society together. Now, this is mostly based off what I could get from tracing their signatures, so unfortunately I don’t know anymore than that. Not even why Ichigo went back with them.” Kisuke replied. They thought about this for a moment, then Chad spoke up.  
  
“Maybe one of us could go and see what’s happening.” He suggested.  
  
“I’m sorry, but it’s to dangerous for any of you to go alone if something really did happen. However…” Kisuke paused, considering his options. “I could send Yoruichi to investigate and I’d relay the message to you.”  
  
“Could you?” Uryu asked. “That would be great.”  
  
“Of course. Now, in the meantime, I believe our little friend here needed some help. Isn’t that right?” Urahara asked Nel.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

It was late at night by the time the discussion ended and Momo had left. It had gone fairly well, and they now had the girl on their side. A good part of the time had been spent sorting out some of her and Toshiro’s trauma of past events. Now, everyone was getting ready to sleep for the night. When the light was put out though, Ichigo didn’t go to sleep. Instead, he dropped into his inner world. He wanted to check on his spirits. They had been oddly withdrawn the entire evening, and he was worried about them. Especially Shirogetsu, who was usually listening and making comments all the time. He took a moment to search for their energies, then started shunpo’ing towards them. Slowing down as he neared them, he found Shirogetsu sitting against the base of the flagpole Kurogetsu was standing on.  
  
_‘Is he asleep?’_ Ichigo wondered. His eyes were closed and his breathing slow and even. He walked closer and stopped next to him, looking up at Kurogetsu.  
  
“Hey. You guys alright? You’ve both been pretty quiet for a while.” Ichigo questioned.  
  
Shirogetsu had jumped at the sound of his voice, and opened his eyes to glare at him. **“We’re fine.”** He replied shortly.  
  
“What were you doing?” Ichigo asked.  
  
**“Meditating. We both were, he said we needed it.”** Shirogetsu pointed above him to the other spirit.  
  
“Ah… Okay then.” Ichigo looked to Kurogetsu, silently asking for an explanation.  
  
“He was pretty angry when he returned. It was better than allowing him to start destroying our inner world.” Ichigo nodded, accepting the explanation, before returning to his original question.  
  
“So you’re both okay then?”  
  
“Yes, we are.” Kurogetsu replied, appreciating the concern. “You should go get some rest. It is late after all.”  
  
“Yeah. Night, Zangetsu.” Ichigo said, referring to both spirits. Then he left, leaving the two alone once more.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Any hope of a peaceful day in Soul Society vanished early the next morning when flaring reiatsu’s and signs of conflict were sensed at the First Division. It only lasted a short while, maybe several minutes at most, but it was enough to raise alarm. Not long after, it was revealed that the First had been invaded and the Lieutenant killed. Ichigo’s goal of changing Soul Society had been put on hold when preparation for war began immediately. Seireitei was a chaotic frenzy, everyone operating under war time protocol. Ichigo had paid Unohana a visit, and got the okay for Shirogetsu’s suppressor to be removed, under the argument that they could use another fighter of Ichigo’s strength.  
  
He was glad that he got Shirogetsu cleared, because not much later that day the first major invasion of Soul Society began. Everyone had moved out to intercept the enemy, each heading to a different part of the battlefield. Ichigo had tried to go to the source of the strongest reiatsu, assuming it to belong to the enemies leader, but had been intercepted by a tall white haired man who introduced himself as Jugram Haschwalth.  
  
“Why won’t you let me pass? You clearly have no interest in fighting me.” Ichigo stated.  
  
“I was ordered to stop you from interfering. How I choose to do it is irrelevant.” Jugram replied.  
  
“Yeah? Well, I’m not gonna just stand here chatting with you the whole time. So either let me pass or I’ll just beat you then move on.” Ichigo’s hand raised to rest on the sword on his back.  
  
“Very well. It seems there is no other way then.” Jugram drew his own blade, and raised it to block an overhead strike from Ichigo. He angled his blade to the side, causing Zangetsu to slide off, then struck when Ichigo’s blade was down. Ichigo Shunpo’d behind Jugram, and was much closer than the white haired man expected him to be. But Ichigo wasn’t attacking with the large blade. Jugram barely moved aside in time, a short blade scoring a shallow cut to his cheek.  
  
_‘Guess I need to get serious about this.’_ Jugram thought. In his moment of distraction, Ichigo had moved again, now attacking his open side with the large blade. Once again, Jugram redirected the blow, then brought his sword down hard on the small blade that had tried to reach him. It shattered into several large pieces the boy’s hand, causing him to drop the broken blade, while his Zanpakuto spirits cursed.  
  
Ichigo paused in shock at what just happened. How had Zangetsu been broken that easily? He distanced himself just long enough to charge reiatsu in his remaining sword. Moving in for one last attack, Ichigo came in head on, sword blazing with energy.  
  
“Getsuga Tensho!” The attack had the desired effect, clouding the area in dust and smoke. In an instant, he had retrieved the fragments of his sword and disappeared from the battlefield. He pocketed the pieces as he ran, making sure not to lose any of them. Nearing his destination, he felt the reiatsu around the place pressing down on him, representing the combined power of the two combatants. Arriving, he moved as fast as he could to get between them and block a fatal strike. Sword raised above him, Ichigo strained against the power behind the attack. Pushing against his opponent's blade, he managed to throw them back a short distance as Yamamoto fell to the ground behind him in a spray of blood, having been attacked from behind.  
  
“Yama-jii!” Ichigo turned to look at him, but his attention was forced back to his opponent when he spoke.  
  
“Haschwalth. Move aside. I will take care of this.” Yhwach stated. Jugram nodded and complied, flicking the blood off his sword.  
  
“Are you their leader?” Ichigo asked harshly.  
  
“I am.” Yhwach replied. “But I am not the enemy here.”  
  
“Don’t screw with me. You and your soldiers are the ones destroying Soul Society!” Ichigo shouted.  
  
“I see. You have been blinded by the ways of the Shinigami.” Yhwach sounded almost disappointed.  
  
“There’s no way I’d ever join you!” Ichigo denied. Both were surprised when a third figure suddenly appeared between them.  
  
“Kurogetsu?” Ichigo questioned.  
  
“Ichigo. Let me fight him.” Ichigo was somewhat confused at the demanding tone and restrained anger, but agreed anyway. He turned his attention to Yamamoto as the two began fighting, checking to see how bad the injury was. Deciding it wasn’t enough to kill him right away, he carefully moved him away from the fighting, and flagged down a messenger racing through the battlefield. Leaving the Head Captain to him, Ichigo returned to where his spirit was fighting, to find that Kurogetsu had gone Bankai, and was fighting with everything he had.  
  
A dark smile came across Yhwach’s face. In a brief moment between clashes, Yhwach grabbed Tensa Kurogetsu by the throat in one hand, and held the teenager’s sword arm out of the way in the other. Tensa’s free hand rose to grab his captor’s, his expression one of terrified realization. Even as he struggled, his form began to break apart as Ichigo fell to the ground in pain, Kurogetsu’s energy being forcibly drawn out. Somehow he knew the spirit wasn’t dying, but something was still very wrong. Then it hit him.  
  
Yhwach was absorbing him.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Shirogetsu watched in horror as Kurogetsu’s form began to break apart and fade. Snapping into action, he lept forward, trying to grab hold of the other spirit. He couldn’t touch his fading other half, but he latched onto Kurogetsu’s reiatsu with his own, fighting as hard as he could to pull him back to his side. At first, it worked a little, but then there was a sharp pull and Shirogetsu felt his partner get yanked from his grasp. In a last attempt to save Kurogetsu, he clamped down on what few traces of reiatsu remained. Kurogetsu vanished, and Shirogetsu felt a void open in Ichigo’s soul. Gathering the reiatsu and calling it to him, Kurogetsu’s energy condensed into a tiny black flame that he held in his open palms.  
  
**“Ossan…”** Shirogetsu watched the small flame dance in his hands, and he felt a sharp pain in his chest, one he was not familiar with. Tears burned in his eyes, unknown to him until they started to fall.  
  
**“OSSAN!!”** Shirogetsu screamed, his broken cry sounding like that of a wounded Hollow. A flurry of emotions came over him, anger and fury hidden behind the agony in his voice. Though he used to deny any sort of bond between them, he actually cared quite a lot. The old man had been so many things, not only to Ichigo, but to him as well. Someone to look up to, a partner, a teacher, a guardian, and, maybe most importantly, the only other one besides Ichigo that he had a significant bond to. His angered expression softened to a pained one, as he continued to stare at the flame.  
  
**“You’ve protected both of us for so long, Ossan. Thank you. Now, I’ll protect you, until you can return.”** He spoke softly to the flame, before bringing it closer to himself, holding it up against his chest. Strangely, the fire did not burn him. Instead, it merged with him, burying itself in the hole found there, closing it up. The last of the flame left his fingers, and his temporary calm shattered. The burning anger returned in full force, and he manifested himself in the outside world. Before he even finished forming, he had pulled his sword from his back and charged at the one standing in front of him.  
  
The Quincy King barely reacted from the change of opponent as Ichigo backed off, knowing not to get in way of his Hollow’s fight, despite what had just happened. Especially while he was recovering from the power drain. Yhwach blocked the first several blows, before pushing him back with a strong swing of the sword. Shirogetsu regained his footing quickly, then sonido’d behind the other, aiming for his neck. He didn’t want to enjoy this fight, he wanted to kill the one who dared to steal part of another’s soul. To his frustration, he was blocked again. Cold horror spread through him at seeing the blade though.  
  
**“H-how…”** Shirogetsu found himself at a loss for words, and any remaining composure vanished.  
  
**“HOW DARE YOU USE THAT BLADE AGAINST HIS OWN SOUL!!!”** He screamed, shaken at being blocked by Kuro Tensa’s blade. A horned mask started forming over one part of his face as his power flared higher. He pushed the blade aside and jumped above Yhwach.  
  
**“Getsuga Tensho!”** Red and black energy rained down on his opponent, not letting up as he kept pouring more energy into the attack. He sonido’d out of the way when the blast was diverted, and an arrow flew right at him. Unable to completely dodge at such close range, the shot caught him on his left arm. Coming to a stop again, he fired a cero that had been charging between the horns on the mask, which now had the top half formed. The cero split in two as Yhwach fought against it, spreading to either side of him.  
  
Shirogetsu didn’t wait for the dust to clear before moving in again, a Getsuga held within his blade. He swung at Yhwach’s side, which was left open from him defending his front, and scored a deep hit as the other moved to defend. At least, it looked like he was defending, until he pointed a glowing bow the other direction.  
  
**“What are you-”** He was cut off by his opponent speaking.  
  
“If he dies, you do as well, correct?” This statement made Shirogetsu freeze for a moment, then race to beat the rain of arrows to their target. Hundreds of arrows shot from the bow, and he pushed himself to get there first. He made it, but was in no position to stop the dozen or so arrows from impacting. Now severely injured, he fell to his knees in front of Ichigo as he tried to start regenerating.  
  
The Quincy King however, gave him no time to recover and shot one more arrow, even as Ichigo desperately stood to block. Ichigo wasn’t fast enough and it struck Shirogetsu in the head. The regeneration couldn’t do anything against the lodged object. He fell all the way to the ground, and went still. Ichigo stopped, shocked, then dropped down next to his spirit.  
  
“Zangetsu! Hey! Shiro!” Getting no response, he quickly checked his vitals, only to find there wasn’t any. Shirogetsu’s body suddenly dissolved into reishi, and funneled itself into his sword, causing him to panic. Surely he didn’t just die? After all, his reiatsu just returned to his Zanpakuto, but he couldn’t feel his presence.  
  
_‘SHIRO!! Are you there?!’_ Ichigo asked through the mental connection. A faint, ‘Yeah’ was his reply, and Ichigo sagged in relief.  
  
_‘How bad’s the damage?’_ He questioned as he stood and fixed his eyes on his opponent.  
  
**_‘Getting killed drained all my power. I don’t think I can fight or even manifest right now.’_** Shirogetsu’s voice faded even more, as did his presence in Ichigo’s mind. Unable to hold such a weak connection, Ichigo found himself cut off from his sword spirit.  
  
The sky darkened as it started to rain, lightly at first, but quickly turning into a steady downpour. Ichigo’s reiatsu swirled around him in his fury as he gathered it together for one last attack. He couldn’t go much longer, and hoped to end this quickly. The energy started gathering in his remaining large blade as he charged up the strongest attack he could manage. He shunpo’d behind Yhwach, bringing the blade down hard to meet the Quincy’s own sword. Unfazed by the stalemate of swords, Ichigo released the pent up power from his blade.  
  
“Getsuga...Tenshou!” Instead of the usual crescent of energy, it formed a large sphere that rapidly expanded, creating a massive shockwave in the wake of the explosion. As the last of the attack dissipated, it revealed both fighters in rough condition, though Ichigo was clearly more spent than the other. Ichigo tried one last time, swinging his sword in a last ditch effort.  
  
Yhwach caught it on his arm, Blut Vein glowing brightly, then grabbed Ichigo by the throat and threw him to the ground. He followed through with the stolen sword, stabbing it through the boy’s abdomen. Ichigo cried out as more than half the blade sunk into the ground beneath him, making it impossible to move. Yhwach released the sword, only for Ichigo to grab hold in a vain effort to do anything about it.  
  
“A good attempt, but you are still just a child, both in body and in power. You were not ready to fight me.” Yhwach told him. Ichigo turned his head to look up at the person standing over him.  
  
“Maybe not, but you didn’t exactly get away unscathed either.” Ichigo bit back. And it was true. Yhwach had accumulated numerous minor injuries over the course of the fight, but that last blast had burned him pretty badly, and he probably wouldn’t stand much of a chance if another Captain were to come by. At that moment though, a shadow tore open behind the Quincy leader and Jugram came to stand beside Yhwach.  
  
“It would appear that we are out of time, Your Majesty.” Jugram stated.  
  
“It would seem that way, wouldn’t it?” Yhwach agreed. They left and the rain started to fall harder, soaking the trapped Ichigo. He tightened his grip on the sword, and braced himself for what he was about to do. Pain screamed through his body when the blade shifted, and then he blacked out.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Rukia had started searching for Ichigo as soon as the fighting had stopped, worried because his reiatsu had abruptly disappeared. Heading in the direction she had last felt him, she noticed a Fourth Division medical unit and a messenger going the same way. Joining up with them, she asked where they were going, because the wounded were usually brought to their squad.  
  
“A runner came and informed us that Head Captain had been cut down, and that Kurosaki and one other was with him, but Kurosaki was outnumbered when his ally was killed. We are uncertain what their condition will be when we find them.” The lead medic replied.  
  
Rukia increased her pace to shunpo, easily outpacing the medics, while ignoring her own injuries that protested the action. She landed in the battlefield, stunned at what she saw. Yamamoto was facedown in a slowly expanding pool of blood, with a huge slash across his back. Ichigo was not much better, covered in burns and several minor cuts. Most horrifying to Rukia though, was the fact that Ichigo was pinned to the ground with his own sword. She rushed to his side as the others arrived to tend to Yamamoto.  
  
“Ichigo!” _‘That sword’s really stuck deep. How on earth am I supposed to get it out? Just pulling it straight out could cause even more damage.’_ Her thoughts changed direction when she saw another blade still in his hand.  
  
_‘But wait, he still has his shikai blade. Is this one not his then? Only the Shikai blade has any of his spirit energy..’_ She flagged down one of the medics, calling him over.  
  
“How do we get this out of him? The sword’s stuck deep in the ground, there’s no way we can move him.” She asked. They came closer to examine the situation, seeing what needed to be done.  
  
“We cannot take it out, it would cause more damage than there already is, and he would bleed out. Either internally from the damage, or externally from the open wound. With his level of power though, there is likely no way for us to break the blade and make it shorter.” They fell silent for a moment, thinking about their options.  
  
“Lieutenant, can you freeze the blade to his body?”  
  
“What?!” Rukia was shocked by the suggestion. “Why?”  
  
“If we can freeze it to him and immobilize it, then we can attempt to lift him and remove it from the ground with less risk of causing more damage.”  
  
“I guess it’s worth a try. Dance, Sode no Shirayuki.” _‘Sorry, Ichigo. This would really hurt if you were awake.’_ She mentally apologised as her sword turned white, releasing her powers. She guided the cold to her hands and placed them on either side of the wound, letting a thick layer of ice wrap around him and creep up the black metal. That done, she resealed her blade and awaited further instruction.  
  
“Now, we very carefully lift him and try not to touch the sword. The rain probably softened the ground, so hopefully we can do this.” Working as one, they were able to lift and unpin him from the ground. They lay him on his side on a stretcher, then she was following the Squad members as they rushed Ichigo and Yamamoto back to the Fourth.  
  
Upon arrival Ichigo was taken straight to Unohana for emergency surgery, and Rukia was directed to another room to receive treatment of her own. In her worry and anxiety, a medic ended up having to sedate her because she would not calm down. After she had been treated, she was left to sleep off the drugs while her body recovered from the trying day. She did need the rest after all.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Attempting to ignore the pain his body was in, Ichigo found himself in his inner world. Landing on one of the many skyscrapers, he noted that the time of day had changed drastically, and a light rain was falling. He also took a moment to assess himself, and see what had followed over.  
  
The physical injuries had transferred over in the form of bruises, and he could still feel the pains of the wounds. His middle in particular was in a great amount of pain. Looking around, the rain limited his view of the area. Closing his eyes, he focused on locating Shirogetsu by his reiatsu. It didn't take long, and he soon stood next to an unconscious Shiro, laying sprawled on the ground on his back, as if he had been thrown down and left there. Many of the injuries Shirogetsu received outside had also followed over in the form of bruises. There was a particularly nasty one where he had been shot in the head, dark and swollen. One of Shirogetsu’s hands was resting on his chest, fist clenched tightly over his heart.  
  
_‘Is he hurt there too? But I didn't see him get hit there.’_ Ichigo wondered. He moved the hand aside to find a flaming black circle imprinted in the skin there. Curious about the strange mark, he touched it and immediately recognized Kurogetsu’s energy.  
  
“You saved him, didn't you?” Ichigo asked. “You saved him when I couldn't. Thank you, Shiro.” Becoming cold from the rain, he glanced around for shelter. However, he couldn't find any, the rain somehow managed to reach every part of the city. Still looking, his eyes moved to the glass pane they were on.  
  
_‘I wonder…’_ He studied the hairline cracks running through the glass and stood, moving Shirogetsu, then grabbing the sword on his back. Wincing as he was painfully reminded of his bruises, he braced himself and stabbed straight down into the window, successfully shattering it. However, he immediately dropped the sword as the impact jolted through him. Taking a moment to recover, he carefully picked up Shirogetsu and jumped down into the dark room. The shadows closed around them, somehow having a comforting warmth. Moving away from the broken window further into the shadows, the rain lost it's chilling effect. Ichigo laid Shirogetsu in a corner then settled down himself, getting as comfortable as he could on the hard floor. Deciding that nothing more could be done at the moment, he closed his eyes to rest.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Ichigo woke several hours after surgery, groggy from the effects of the drugs that had been put into his system. Most of his middle was bandaged, and even with all the drugs he was in an incredible amount of pain. A medic had came in to check on him, then explained that they had been able to surgically close the wound, but had not been able to further heal it with Kaido. Unohana would be in to talk with him shortly.  
  
When the medic had gone, Ichigo had turned his attention to the metal shards that had been wrapped and sat next to him. Honestly, he was amazed that none of the pieces had been lost during everything that had happened. He pulled them out and placed the gathered fragments on the floor, putting them back together like a puzzle. Studying the pieces, he felt a flash of irritation. There was no reason for him to have lost not only the fight, but a piece of his sword and soul.  
  
If only he had been stronger. If only he hadn’t let Kurogetsu fight. If only he hadn’t let his guard down and been caught. If only…  
  
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Ichigo refocused on the shattered blade. He had heard it mentioned at some point that a broken Shikai could be repaired with its wielder investing time, reiatsu, and effort to rebuild the connection, but he wondered if it would even work with the blade being empty. He securely wrapped the pieces in the cloth, and tucked the bundle back into the folds of his Shihakusho. Isane had then stopped by while making her rounds checking on all the patients.  
  
Ichigo stopped her before she could leave, asking a question that had been on his mind. “I thought that the Fourth would be a lot busier than it is now. The few people that I fought were pretty strong, and I’m sure there was several more of them around. How are there not more casualties than this?”  
  
Isane turned her full attention to him at this question. “Nothing is certain, but from the reports that are coming in, Aizen was in the most concentrated area of the fighting, and is responsible for saving the lives of many Shinigami. I would truly like to believe that, but I myself am uncertain what to think about all this. After all, he has betrayed us all before, so it is a strange thought that he may be helping us.” She replied honestly.  
  
“...” Ichigo thought about this for a moment before responding. “I can actually believe him helping us. Like you said, he has betrayed us before, but since I’ve been working with him, it seems like he’s genuinely trying to make a change for the better. He’s helped me and my friends, and I’ve not seen any hostility from him towards anyone else, unless they started it. I wouldn’t necessarily say I completely trust him, but I’m trying because I see him making an effort to change.”  
  
“...I see…” Isane replied. “I… will keep that in mind.” She excused herself from the room to continue her rounds, leaving Ichigo and Rukia alone again. During his conversation though, he had felt Shirogetsu’s presence reappear.  
  
“Feeling any better?” Ichigo asked.  
  
**“Aside from a nasty headache, and reiatsu depletion, I'm just fine.”** Was the irritated response. **“I want out, so help me out here, would ya?”**  
  
“Okay, fine. Give me a sec.” Ichigo replied. Moments later Shirogetsu stood next to him, and moved to sit next to him.  
  
“Better?” Ichigo asked. Shirogetsu nodded. “By the way,” Ichigo sat up and, before his Zanpakuto could react, had pulled the spirit’s shirt open, revealing the black mark on his chest. “Is that black bit there Ossan’s power?”  
  
Shirogetsu smacked his hand away. **“Yes, it is. How did you find out about that?”**  
  
So Ichigo told him what happened after he had been killed in the fight, up to where they were now. Shirogetsu didn't notice when the door silently opened, because he was facing away from it. Ichigo was surprised that it wasn't Unohana, but the person motioned for him to stay quiet. Yoruichi snuck up behind Shirogetsu and suddenly grabbed him from behind in a tight hug. Shirogetsu, naturally, was startled by the contact, and a shocked _‘what the *’_ slipped from his mouth as he fought to get away. Yoruichi finally released him when he swung his arm back to hit her. However, she promptly sat right next to him and, satisfied she now had his full attention, continued to fluster him.  
  
“What, is that all you have to say to a pretty lady that you just tried to hit?” Yoruichi asked with a pout. Shirogetsu had no idea what to do, but leaned away as she edged closer. When she stopped, he turned away, and Ichigo got a good look at him. The redness on his cheeks was made all the more obvious by his white skin, and he had an embarrassed frown on his face. Ichigo couldn't help but laugh at the expression, then silently cursed himself when Yoruichi turned her attention to him, her eyes full of mischief.  
  
“Oh, do you find this amusing?” She asked.  
  
“Ah, no. Not at all.” Ichigo quickly replied. However, this did nothing to stop her from scooting next to him. He glanced over at Shirogetsu for help, but his reply was a smirk that seemed to say _, ‘you didn't help me, you can deal with this yourself’._  
  
Returning his focus to the problem at hand, there was nowhere for him to move as Yoruichi kept coming closer. Leaning away, she crawled over to his lap, and pushed her face in front of his. Seeing his hesitation to push her away, she took the opportunity to push him backwards. The situation ended with Ichigo on his back, face to face with Yoruichi as she held him down. Overwhelmed, Ichigo passed his breaking point.  
  
“Get off of me, you Demon Cat!” Ichigo shouted.  
  
“Demon Cat? Oh, did you pick that one up from Bya?” She purred.  
  
“So what if I did? Get off me. Now.” Ichigo’s tone and expression had gone from surprised to quiet anger. Noticing this, Yoruichi immediately retreated, letting go of him and moving away. He sat back up, and his attention was redirected to the one that had wandered in after Yoruichi.  
  
“Why is she -” His question was cut off by the bone hard object that had reached up and smashed into his jaw.  
  
“Ow… Okay, I'm happy to see you too Kasai.” Ichigo recovered from the greeting headbutt, and pet the Hollow cat that was sitting in his lap with his fingertips.  
  
“So, why are you here, and why did you bring her with you?” Ichigo finally asked.  
  
“Kisuke sent me to investigate, and the furball decided to tag along. Imagine my surprise to find a war going on, and for Aizen of all people to be defending the Shinigami with you off somewhere else, going up against someone who was clearly more powerful than you. I taught you to challenge and push yourself, not to be a reckless idiot!” Yoruichi scolded him. He was about to retort when Unohana came in, her kind (scary) smile in place.  
  
“Hello, Shihouin-San. Would you mind explaining why you are here bothering my patients?” Unohana inquired.  
  
“Just investigating some things. Ichigo is generally a good source of information, seeing how he’s always in the middle of things, so I just wanted to talk with him.” Yoruichi replied smoothly, turning to the new arrival.  
  
“Really? Were you not harassing him just now?” She pressed.  
  
“...Maybe just teasing him a little…” Yoruichi replied after a moment.  
  
“Shihouin-San, I must request you leave. You may return when you can be more mindful of both yourself and others.” Unohana’s tone left no room for debate as Yoruichi stood and left. She turned to Ichigo, who was still sitting with the Hollow cat his lap, petting her with his fingers.  
  
“Ichigo, is this the Hollow cat I have been hearing about you protecting?” She asked, sitting next to Ichigo. Shirogetsu moved out of the way to sit against the wall, ignoring the conversation.  
  
“Yeah, she is. I can promise you she’s not dangerous though. She-” He pointed to Kasai, “is Kasai. She is a real Hollow, but she hasn’t hurt anybody and she listens to me. She still behaves like a normal animal though, just a bit more intelligent than the average cat.”  
  
Unohana examined him while thinking how to reply. “How are you so certain about Kasai? She is a true Hollow after all, and must have an energy source to feed from. You can understand my concern, allowing a Hollow into Seireitei, which is full of spiritual beings.”  
  
Ichigo debated on telling her for a moment, then decided that the truth couldn’t hurt. “I’ve been letting her feed off my spirit energy so she doesn’t need to eat souls. I do have an unnaturally high amount of it after all, and if it’s the price I have to pay for keeping her around, then so be it.”  
  
“You’ve been doing what?” Unohana’s focus vanished when she heard what Ichigo had been doing, and she didn’t give him a chance to respond. “Letting her feed off your spirit energy? Do you know how dangerous that is? If too much is consumed, it could permanently damage your power, or possibly even kill you.” She lectured. Ichigo didn’t know which was worse, her chilling smile, or the motherly tone of angry disappointment that she was using right now.  
  
“It didn’t seem like a bad idea at the time. I had no idea it could cause that much damage though.” Ichigo said. Realizing he was thinking out loud, not trying to argue with her, she didn’t respond. Finishing her examination, she brought his attention back to her.  
  
“Whose sword made this injury?” She asked.  
  
“It was my manifested Zanpakuto’s sword. It was stolen and then used against me by my opponent. Why?”  
  
“The reason this wound could not be completely sealed is because it is an injury caused by a part of your own soul. The energy left in the wound is not recognized as foreign, and so your body is not attempting to remove it so that the wound can heal. This is an injury that is rarely seen, and unfortunately there is not much we can do for it. I was able to close the wound surgically, but the actual healing process must be done naturally by your own body.”  
  
“I see. Is there no other way?” Ichigo asked.  
  
“Unfortunately, no. I’m afraid you have quite a recovery ahead of you. Are you interested in the medicinal field?” She asked, keeping up conversation.  
  
“A little. I would sometimes help out in the clinic at home, but I never saw Tou-san do anything major. We mostly treated illness or minor injuries. Cases that were more serious, we sent to the hospital. The most I ever saw him do was give someone stitches. I do find Soul Society’s medicine to be more interesting, but I don’t think I would ever have become a doctor myself.”  
  
“Hm.” Unohana considered this. “What sort of job would you have been interested in having?”  
  
“I would still want to help people, just not in that way. I would want to do something where I could keep people safe. Honestly, I’ve never really thought too much about what I wanted to do, so I don't know what all the different options would have been. It’s not like it matters anymore though, I am a full Shinigami now after all.” Ichigo replied.  
  
“Do you have any idea what you are going to do after all the trouble in Soul Society is over? You currently have no place here, especially since you are planning to fight against the Central 46, and potentially even destroy the Gotei with your goal. And yet, you cannot return to the World of the Living.”  
  
“I guess I just kinda figured things would fall into place once stuff started changing. After all, everything's going to have to fall apart before any rebuilding can be done.” The conversation fell silent, only for Isane to come in with a Hell Butterfly on her finger.  
  
“Captain, both Ichigo and our presences have been requested. We are to meet up with the other Captains immediately.” Isane passed the butterfly to Unohana so she could receive the entire message. Unohana stood, motioning for Ichigo to do the same. He followed them out of the room, Kasai clinging onto his shoulder and Shirogetsu returning to the inner world. They made their way out of the barracks, leaving to respond to the summons.  



	16. TYBW Condensed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, this chapter is going to have quite a few short scenes in it. I think the title of the chapter explains why pretty well.

The fighting had ended some time ago, and Aizen was currently resting under a tree that had been further away from the devastation, thus remaining largely untouched. He sat against the base of the tree as he healed, enjoying the shade the large branches provided as leaves and flower petals drifted down, a huge difference from the earlier violence. Unlike what the Shinigami had thought, his connection with the Hogyoku had not been severed, only severely weakened and much more difficult to use. And it was that small connection that was slowly closing the wounds he had received. Finally, the last injury faded, and he gave a quiet sigh of relief. Deciding to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the tree a little longer, he stayed where he was, closing his eyes, placing the nameless sword in his lap, and tried accessing his powers. Gradually his conscious faded, and then he was waking up, though he had not been sleeping. Aizen found himself standing on familiar waters, moonlight gently reflecting on the glassy appearing surface. It had been a very long time since he had been here, but it was not as calming as he had hoped. Something was very obviously different, and it was showing itself as a thick purple fog, consuming the world that only existed in his mind.  
  
Ripples spread from his feet with each step he took as he started moving, intent on finding either his Zanpakuto, or the source of the fog. The further he traveled into the center of the world, the thicker the fog became, until he could no longer see anything around him. Having given up on sight some time ago, he had been using his reiatsu sense to guide him, but even that was useless now. He called out for his Zanpakuto, only to stop when the cold edge of a blade rested against his throat.  
  
“Why are you here?” The smooth voice that came from behind him was distorted by a low snarl.  
  
“Is that any way to greet your partner?” Aizen lightly held the edge of the sword and pushed it away. Another growl sounded from behind him, then a hand grabbed his and led him away from the center of the fog. The mist thinned as they kept walking, giving him a clear view of the one leading him across the inner world. He pulled away when they stopped, and his Zanpakuto turned to look at him.  
  
“I’ll ask you again. Why are you here?” Kyoka Suigetsu demanded. For several seconds, Aizen didn’t reply as he took in her appearance. One might describe her as a human with fox-like features, while others may simply call her a Kitsune. But she was neither of those things. Her pale purple hair hung long past her shoulders, highlighting the reddish orange fur of her large, fox-like ears and tail. She wore a deep blue kimono, the color of the twilight sky, which made her bright hair and fur stand out even more. Startlingly green eyes stared at him, waiting for a response. Rubbing his wrist where her clawed fingers had left scratches from the tight grip, Aizen finally gave an answer.  
  
“Is it so strange for a Shinigami to visit his Zanpakuto?”  
  
Kyoka Suigetsu was considerably calmer now, but now there was a scolding tone in her voice. “It is when said Shinigami has neglected them for such a long time. You have only come to attempt to regain my powers, isn’t that right? I see no reason to give them back to you. After all, you did replace me with another. The same one that is the source of the miasma consuming this world. Even though it has rejected you, you stubbornly hold onto it, leaving no space for another power. A single Shinigami cannot draw power from two such conflicting sources.”  
  
“Are you saying that I must reject the Hogyoku before you will accept me again?” The silence and intense stare that followed was a clear answer.  
  
“The question is simple. Will you rely on a power that no longer wishes to help you, or will you take back your original power that has always been there for you?” Kyoka Suigetsu challenged.  
  
Then she turned and walked away, disappearing through the fog. Once the spirit was gone, the mist began to condense in front of Aizen, taking on a vaguely human shape.  
  
“I take it you are the Hogyoku?” Aizen questioned.  
  
The figure nodded. _‘What will you do?’_ The question was not spoken out loud, but appeared in Aizen’s mind as if it had been a thought.  
  
“I no longer need your power. I will rely on my own strength, and the strength of my Zanpakuto. However, I do have one last request of you…”  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Aizen returned from his inner world back to where he sat under the tree. There was a dull ache in his chest, and he easily removed the Hogyoku which had separated itself from him. Tucking it away in a pocket, Aizen stood and held the nameless sword out in front of him.  
  
“Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu.” The sword’s form wavered, then changed to Kyoka Suigetsu’s familiar form. He sheathed his Zanpakuto without sealing it, so that they could communicate without the restriction interfering. Sometimes it was convenient to have a shi-kai that didn’t change the sword’s shape. Reaching out with his reiatsu, he could sense a gathering of Captains on the edge of Rukongai. Even with the recent power drain, it only took a few steps of shunpō for him to arrive, landing lightly behind the assembled Shinigami. Wandering over to the nearest Captain, who happened to be Shunsui, Aizen idly asked what everyone was waiting for. It was impossible to miss the patch on Shunsui’s face when he turned to reply.   
  
“The Zero Division should be arriving any minute, and all available Captains were requested to be here. As a matter of fact…” He trailed off as everyone suddenly looked up. “Here they are.” A giant pillar crashed down into the field in front of them. It opened, and five figures stepped out. Many of the Shinigami had no idea what to expect, but it was certainly not the people that had just appeared in front of them.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


  
(Soul Palace, several days later.)  
  
The past half a week had been a nightmare for Ichigo. First he had been dragged along to the Royal Realm with little explanation, had to tolerate the antics of the Royal Guard, then was thrown into a fight for his life without his Zanpakuto against dozens of Asauchi, and lastly, kicked out of the Soul Palace back to the World of the Living. Now, he had just returned to the dark pit in Nimaiya’s Palace after a lengthy discussion with his father, who had dropped far too much information on him all at once. Precious information that had taken what he thought he knew about his family's connection to the spiritual world, and smashed it to pieces.  
  
_‘Why?’_ Ichigo thought _. ‘Why all this? Why now? What did his parent's personal history have to do with his current situation?’_ It was all a bit much at the moment. Ichigo broke from his thoughts when the annoying Zanpakuto maker spoke from above him.  
  
“So, chan-Ichi, did ya find the truth of ya powers? That's what I just sent ya on that little trip for, yo!” Ah, so that's it. That bit of history he'd just gotten held the answers to his power.  
  
“Looks like ya got yourself all figured out, yeah? Now…” Nimaiya trailed off when the Asauchi gathered around Ichigo again. Everything was still for a moment, until Ichigo turned to face the Asauchi. They all fell to a knee before him, and he reached out to a specific one in the crowd. It took his hand, and he was unsurprised when the spirit’s exterior dissolved, revealing a being similar in appearance to his Hollow, with a blank white mask.  
  
“It's you.”  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


In Hueco Mundo, Kisuke, along with Nel, Pesche, Orihime, Uryu, and Chad had spotted a group of Quincy hunting down Hollows, and had unfortunately been discovered by them. Kisuke had made quick work of the leader, while Nel had gone with Uryu and Pesche to find Dondochakka. The two Arrancar had returned, but Uryu had not. Pesche reported that Uryu had left them on the way back, heading towards a mass of Quincy signatures, and had not come back. Unable to go after him after the alarm had been raised, and the fact that his signature was not showing any distress, they moved further out into the desert.  
  
They had taken the defeated Quincy with them, and Kisuke was now interrogating him while at the same time running tests on a strange medallion that they had found on the Quincy. When they were done with him, they dumped him outside the Quincy compound for someone to find him. Kisuke had finished with the medallion and then started examining Nel, fascinated by the large crack in her mask. After finding out from Orihime that Nel had two different forms, he had started making something for the little Arrancar.  
  
Kisuke had been working for quite a while before they were interrupted by a hostile reiatsu coming up on them, fast. Orihime tried to intercept him, but he had made his way around them, and Kisuke froze with a sword held to his neck from behind. They had been hoping to avoid any more trouble coming their way, but that was clearly no longer an option.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Ichigo’s swords had been reforged from the broken pieces, and he had undergone an extreme training regimen with both the Royal Guard and his Zanpakuto. They took full advantage of the time difference that could be made by focusing on it when entering the inner world, and he spent much of his time there training with Zangetsu. The maximum time difference that could be reached was twenty four hours in the inner world, for every one hour in the real world. Having used this time difference before, it didn’t take much for Ichigo to get it right and exploit it to it’s fullest.  
  
The other Shinigami that had been brought to the Palace had each also undergone intense training, and once they had finished, had all returned to Soul Society and joined right in with the second wave of fighting. At some point, many of the Quincy's had suddenly lost their power, making the fighting much easier, and it finished quickly. Ichigo had met up with Orihime, Chad, an adult Nel, and surprisingly Grimmjow, who had come to Seireitei after Kisuke received a report from a Squad Twelve member that Soul Society was under attack. Kisuke had arrived as well, but had gone straight to the Twelfth.  
  
Ichigo had then tracked down Yhwach, and ended up following him into the Reio’s palace. Orihime, and Chad came with him, as well as Aizen and Yoruichi, who they had found along the way. The Arrancar had fallen behind once they reached the palace, fighting the Quincies that had tried to block the groups path. Ichigo had noticed that while Aizen’s power was still extraordinarily high, at transcendent level, something seemed to be missing. He didn’t pay too much attention to it though as they continued moving. It didn’t take long to make it to where the Quincy King had gone, and the group arrived at the Reio’s chamber just in time to see Yhwach’s sword pierce through the crystal surrounding the King. Ichigo stepped forward, mouth open to speak, but was stopped by Aizen holding an arm out in front of him.  
  
“Wait.” The order was given quietly, but everyone heard it. Yhwach turned to look at the new arrivals, malicious reiatsu flaring, and a triumphant gleam in his eyes.  
  
“You’re already too late. The Reio is no more, you have no more moves to make.” Ichigo pushed past Aizen and made a dash to reach the Reio.  
  
“Will you draw that sword out and save him? Do it then. But the moment you take it out…” He looked behind him where Ichigo had just grabbed the sword. “... be prepared to destroy the entire Soul Society with your own hands.” Ichigo drew the sword, and a pattern quickly spread from his hand up his arm, taking control over it.  
  
“What’s happening?! The sword…” Ichigo fought even as his arm rose, with the clear intention to bring it down to kill the Reio. Suddenly his whole body locked up and he was completely frozen, unable to even speak. His reiatsu began flickering wildly with a sensation he had not felt in a very long time.  
  
_‘What are you doing, Getsu?!’_ Ichigo mentally shouted at the one he was currently fighting with.  
  
**_‘He’s manipulating your Quincy blood! I can break the control, Hollow blood and reiatsu are poisonous to Quincies!’_**  
  
_‘I don’t need help! I will not let him control me!’_  
  
**_‘Ya stupid idiot!’_** Shirogetsu snarled, right before shoving past Ichigo as hard as he could, sending Ichigo crashing down into their mindscape. Not so rough that it knocked him out, but harsh enough that Ichigo would be stuck there for a while. Black reiatsu violently exploded from Ichigo’s frozen form, blasting the others back and momentarily obscuring him from sight. Then he was moving blindingly fast, the sword in his hand slashing down onto the Quincy King.  
  
The black and gold eyes, combined with the partially formed mask and distinctly Hollow energy, was a clear indicator of who was in control. Unwilling to give Yhwach the chance for an even fight, he held onto the Quincies sword, both physically gripping it, and covering it in Hollow reiatsu. Yhwach had leapt backwards, drawing his bow, but the large gash on his chest hindered him, still burning from the reiatsu.  
  
Dodging the arrow that had been shot at him, Shirogetsu moved closer, wanting to try something he had thought of when he and Ichigo had learned about the nature of their powers. He pumped even more energy into the stolen sword, and attacked again. It was a glancing hit, but it was enough. The black reiatsu jumped from the sword to his opponent, then worked it’s way into the open wound. Yhwach’s own power burst forth in Quincy blue flames, trying to counter the poison infecting him.  
  
Yhwach backed away again, at a disadvantage using a bow against a sword, and this time Shirogetsu let him, observing the reaction. The black and blue energies fought against each other, injuring their host in the process. Shirogetsu then grinned sadistically when the Quincy demanded to know what he had done, struggling to get back up from his half-kneeling position.  
  
**“Ya want ta know what I did? I believe Quincies are familiar with the term Soul Suicide?”** Somehow the already sadistic grin became even darker, disturbing Ichigo’s friends.  
  
**“Before I became a part of Ichigo, I was a Hollow that had the ability to infect and Hollowfy other souls. Seems like I somehow managed to keep that particular ability. You just became my test subject, and now you have no way to save yourself. Even if I don’t kill you now, you will die from the Soul Suicide.”** Shirogetsu raised the blade straight in front of him, but did not attack.  
  
**“Now, I believe you need to return something ya stole.”** Thin trendles of multi-colored energy began to reach out to Shirogetsu from Yhwach, channeling itself into his reiatsu through the blade. The power drain kept the Quincy King pinned in place as it continued to weaken him. He could not even restore his reiatsu by stealing it back because of the taint. Shirogetsu planted the tip of the sword in the ground, but kept a hand on the hilt. Guiding the returning energy into the sword, it began to distort beneath the building cloak of reiatsu. It gradually grew and took on a human shape, until the transfer of power stopped, and the reiatsu revealed the one hidden beneath it. Shirogetsu looked down at the young teen who his hand rested on.  
  
**“Welcome back, Tensa Kurogetsu.”** Tensa looked up at the taller teen who had just spoken, annoyed by the hand on his head, but not quite willing to do anything about it.  
  
“Tensa Kurogetsu?” He sounded mildly confused by the name, and Shirogetsu frowned in concern. Then he realized the problem and relaxed a bit.  
  
**“We’ll fix your memories soon. Right now, all you need to know is that yer name is Kurogetsu, and that man…”** He pointed to Yhwach, **“... has tried to kill both you and the ones ya care about.”**  
  
Tensa Kurogetsu’s face darkened, his anger focusing in on his target. “Is that so?” His grip tightened on the short blade that had formed with him, and his voice was dangerously quiet. He couldn’t quite remember who the man was, but he had already disliked him as soon as he saw him. And having just heard the words he somehow knew to be true, he now had an intense hatred for the man.  
  
“That’s not everything, is it? What else has he done that you are not telling me?” Tensa demanded.  
  
**“Oh yeah, he’s also trying ta kill the one that holds all the worlds together. Which would not only kill us, but everyone else too.”** This seemed to push Tensa over the edge, and he charged the older Quincy. Now mobile but still weakened, Yhwach put up a good fight, but was ultimately on the losing end. Right before Tensa could finish him off, Yhwach vanished, fleeing to an unknown location. Finally noticing the other people standing in the back of the massive room, Kurogetsu turned to them.  
  
“Who are you?” He demanded. None of them replied, not knowing what to make of the situation. When he took a threatening step forward, unsure if they were enemies, Shirogetsu came over and stopped him with a hand on the shoulder.  
  
**“Wait. They’re friends, there's no more enemies here.”** Tensa studied them, considering, then nodded.  
  
**“You trust me, right?”** Shirogetsu asked.  
  
A slight hesitation, then another nod. “Yes, even if I'm not certain why.”  
  
**“I'm going to send you somewhere safe, and I want you to wait there for me. If you find someone else there, they're a friend too, kay?”** ****  
  
“Alright.” Shirogetsu forcibly ended Tensa’s manifestation, sending him to the inner world. Turning back to everyone else, he simply grinned at them. Orihime and Yoruichi were attempting to stabilize the Reio, so he spoke instead to Chad and Aizen.  
  
**“I'm gonna go clear out the rest of the trash hangin round up here. I don't care if you come or stay here, just stay out of my way, otherwise I can't guarantee that you won't get poisoned with Hollowfication.”** He took off, as did Aizen in the other direction, leaving Chad to guard Orihime and Yoruichi while they worked.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Shirogetsu and Aizen had made quick work of the rest of the Quincy, either killing them or chasing them off, and Shirogetsu had already returned to the Soul Palace. He had managed to capture Uryu without hurting him too badly, and had brought him back as well. The only reason he had done so was because the young Quincy had chased him down, and he knew that Ichigo wouldn’t have let him kill Uryu. So he had confiscated the Quincy’s pendent and brought him back to the others.  
  
He dropped Uryu in front of Chad and Orihime, the former stopping Uryu from leaving while the other tried to talk to him. Deciding he didn’t want the angry teen to have a weapon, Shirogetsu kept the pendent with him when he left again, this time heading to where Aizen’s flickering reiatsu seemed to be calling him. Landing in a closed off part of the entrance to the Royal Realm, he saw that Aizen was indeed waiting for him.  
  
**“What do you want, that you called me this far away?”**  
  
“I’m just curious about a few things. Is your name as a Hollow actually White, not Zangetsu?” Shirogetsu stiffened at the question, but replied anyway.  
  
**“Yes, it was White. I was one of the experimental Hollows you made, and I believe it was one of the other traitor Shinigami that gave me that name. I never cared for it until Ichigo called me something similar and I got stuck with the name Shirogetsu. But I’m not the same as when you created me. Thanks to being an Arrancar level Hollow, I didn’t simply disappear. Imagine my surprise when I found myself reincarnated as the Zanpakuto of some human brat.”** He ignored Ichigo’s irritated reply to that last comment, focusing on his conversation.  
  
“Hmm… even though you were reincarnated as a Zanpakuto, you are clearly still a large part Hollow. Why do you care for him so much? Especially when he has rejected you multiple times, first during his fight with Byakuya, and then again with the Visored. Surely the Hollow part of you holds some resentment for that.” He was unaware that he had hit a nerve until Shirogetsu responded in anger, not caring if Ichigo could hear what he was about to say.  
  
**“If I blame anyone, I blame you for putting him in those situations! Hey, he’s still a kid, he’s not even eighteen yet, which is when humans are considered adults. Thanks to you, he got thrown into war against Soul Society, because you knew he’d come after the chick when she taken away like that, went to war against you and your army, almost died Kami knows how many times, actually did die against one of your Espada until his core instincts triggered full Hollowfication, which he’s still traumatized about by the way, and even got a Hollow for a Zanpakuto!**  
  
**“So no, I don’t have any resentment towards Ichigo, it’s you that I hate for putting a kid through all that crap. At least his Hollowfied Zanpakuto is somewhat sane thanks to being a modified Arrancar, but even then, what Shinigami has any Hollow in them without being a victim of one of your experiments? Is there any doubt now why I hate you so much, and refuse to trust you even though Ichigo is trying to?”** Shirogetsu’s voice had been gradually getting louder and angrier, but that last question had been spoken in a quiet cold rage.  
  
Struggling against his strong urge to seriously injure the man in front of him, he used the air-walking technique to make a dash to the palace with several bursts of Sonído. Unfortunately, he had forgotten that he had scared Ichigo’s friends with his sudden take over, and had yet to explain himself to them. He was rudely reminded by a thick golden chain winding around him when he returned, his angry reiatsu having alarmed them. He staggered and fell from the sudden restraint, but remained sitting on the ground until Yoruichi appeared to see who the wild reiatsu belonged to.  
  
“Oh, it’s you.” She sounded relieved, which then changed to a smirk. “Ah well, since you can’t run off again now, I believe you owe someone an explanation.” She removed the kidō, but kept a tight grip on his wrist after she pulled him back up. Leading him back to the Reio’s chambers, he saw that the Reio had been almost completely healed, and the others were now sitting guard, waiting for everyone to return.  
  
“Here. Explain.” Yoruichi pushed Shirogetsu in front of them.  
  
Orihime of course, spoke first. “Are you Kurosaki-kun’s Hollow?”  
  
Deciding he didn’t want to try and explain the Zanpakuto thing, he simply agreed. **“Yeah, I am.”**  
  
“Why did you take over?” Chad questioned.  
  
Shirogetsu sighed. **“He was being a moron and didn’t listen to me when I tried to stop him from giving into that Quincy’s sword. He insisted that he could take care of it, but the only reason he didn’t attack was because I stopped him. I took over because the Quincy blade couldn’t control Hollows.”**  
  
“Why hasn’t Ichigo come back yet? You’ve been in control for a while now.” Now it was Uryu asking, clearly uncomfortable with the possessed Ichigo. There was several seconds of silence when Shirogetsu didn’t answer.  
  
“Well?” With Uryu’s prompting, Shirogetsu looked at the ground and muttered his reply.  
  
**“When I took over, he got thrown down into the inner world pretty hard. He’s probably pretty beaten up from that, so I don’t think he’ll be able to come back for a while until he regains his strength.”**  
  
He was surprised when Ichigo spoke up. _‘Yeah, you definitely weren’t nice about it. I’m here, but I’m in no position take over again right now.’_ He didn’t sound anywhere near as upset as Shirogetsu expected him to be.  
  
**_‘Ichigo?’_**  
  
_‘What? I was an idiot, and you did what you had to. Sure, I’m stuck here for a while, but you not only broke the control, you also saved Kurogetsu, and the two of you almost killed Yhwach. I wouldn’t have been able to do all that while I was fighting for control.’_  
  
He refocused on the outside world when Yoruichi spoke again. “Since there’s nothing that can be done about it, everyone should head back to Seireitei and see what the situation is there. Do whatever you can to help out. And Uryu? Make sure they know you’re with us again, otherwise you’ll have people trying to kill you. I’m going to sweep the area up here one last time, then I’ll join you down there.”  
  
The humans left and Yoruichi turned to where she felt a reiatsu suppressed almost to the point of non-existent.  
  
“Come on over. I know you’re here.” She called. Aizen stepped in through the doorway where he had been waiting and approached Yoruichi, who was watching him suspiciously.  
  
“What are you going to do now? Do you still want to replace the Reio? There’s nothing stopping you now. You’re here, and I wouldn’t stand a chance if you used your Zanpakuto.” She frowned at him, clearly expecting him to answer yes.  
  
However, he simply smiled and replied, “No. I do want the Reio replaced, but I no longer wish to be that replacement. I do, however, hold the key to transferring the power of Reio to another being, once we find a suitable candidate. The current Reio is not alive, it is nothing more than a vessel to contain and sustain that power. Giving it to a living being that has a strong will and determination will allow for change to begin.  
  
“For now though, I will do nothing. The barriers between here and Soul Society have crumbled, and are not something that can easily be recreated. As such, there is nothing to prevent the travel between there and here for an indefinite amount of time. Let’s sweep the area and then return to Soul Society.” Aizen vanished in a burst of shunpō, and Yoruichi did the same not a moment later.  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


Seireitei had been cleared of the remaining Quincy, and now it was just a waiting game to see where and when Yhwach would reveal himself again. Taking advantage of the impromptu break, Shirogetsu had found somewhere quiet and accessed their inner world. Taking a look around, Kurogetsu and Ichigo were nowhere to be seen. After tracking them down, he found that they were together. Ichigo was lying down resting, and Tensa Kurogetsu was sitting nearby.  
  
**“Feeling any better?”** Shirogetsu asked Ichigo.  
  
Ichigo pushed himself into a sitting position, Shirogetsu’s question haven gotten his attention. “Yeah, still not one hundred percent, but definitely much better.”  
  
**“I’m surprised yer not more pissed at me. You didn’t seem terribly angry when I spoke to you earlier.”**  
  
“And I told you why. I was a moron, and would have made the situation worse than it was. If anything, I should be thanking you for saving us back there.” Ichigo replied.  
  
“But while we’re on the topic of what happened…” Ichigo pointed to Tensa. “... what happened to him?”  
  
**“Oh, that.”** Shirogetsu turned to his other half, and kneeled in front of him. **“Hey Kurogetsu. I promised we’d fix your memory, so let's go ahead and do that.”** Shirogetsu reached up and touched the flaming circle imprinted in his chest, then extracted the energy from himself. Holding the black flame in his palm, he placed it in Tensa’s open hands. It was rapidly absorbed into his body, and he swayed a little where he sat, one hand holding his head, fighting off the disorientation the sudden memory restore had given him. His eyes seemed to clear as he refocused on the ones sitting in front of him.  
  
“Ichigo? Shiro?” Tensa looked disbelieving that they were all there together, clearly having remembered the Quincy absorbing him. “How am I here?”  
  
**“Yhwach only managed to take your power and physical form. I fought to keep you here, and was able to save the core part of you. It was enough, and we were able to bring the rest of you back using your core. I did use Hollow power to do it though, so you may not be purely Quincy anymore. Actually…”** Shirogetsu took a moment to analyze Tensa’s power. **“I think you’re mostly Quincy with a little bit of Hollow and Shinigami mixed in. Essentially, the exact opposite of me.”**  
  
“So wait, both of you are now a combination of different types of souls?” Ichigo asked.  
  
“Yes, it sounds that way. And I believe I have just discovered a side effect of not being a pure Quincy anymore.” Though he sounded somewhat amused, the other two looked at him in concern.  
  
**“What? What is it?”**  
  
“Calling me Ossan would no longer be appropriate. It seems that while my power is mostly unaffected, I cannot return to my older form.”  
  
“What? Really?” Ichigo asked.  
  
“Yes. Other than my form though, there appears to be no other issues.”  
  
**“So are you in shi-kai or ban-kai right now? It has to be shi-kai, right?”**  
  
“Currently, neither. I do not know what will happen if I attempt shi-kai or ban-kai, but I have the feeling I cannot perform it alone.”  
  
**“Hmm. So what do you propose then?”**  
  
“Come over here, I want to test something.” Kurogetsu said. Shirogetsu moved closer, and Kurogetsu said something to him. There was an obvious hesitation between them, but then they seemed to agree on whatever it was that was said. What happened next was something that was painfully familiar to Ichigo. Both halves of Zangetsu seemed to break apart, and then they fused together into what he remembered as Tensa Zangetsu’s combined form. Once again a single being, now with both of their blades, Zangetsu spoke to Ichigo.  
  
“This is our true shi-kai, all powers fused into one. Now…” Zangetsu held both blades straight out in front of him, side by side. “Ban-kai!”  
  
There was a massive explosion of reiatsu, which completely hid Zangetsu from sight. Once it settled down, Tensa Zangetsu was now holding a blade roughly the same size as the original, fake Zangetsu, which was a white blade with a black center, and a chain connecting from the back curved under part of the blade to the tip.  
  
The power it gave off was an almost perfect mixture of Hollow, Shinigami, and Quincy, far stronger than anything his spirits had been before. Tensa Zangetsu still retained his partially Hollowfied appearance as well, creating an overall rather intimidating form, but Ichigo was more fascinated than afraid. Deciding to attempt the same thing, Ichigo focused on bringing his wild energy under control. Compressing and pulling it in, he felt himself change, and he glanced at his reflection in the window beneath his feet.  
  
His right eye was a pale blue, greatly resembling Tensa Kurogetsu’s own eyes, and his left a gold on black, complimented by the single horn he now had. There was also a black stripe that crossed over his Hollow colored eye, which expanded into many curved bands on his chest. Holding a blade in each hand, he held them side by side in front of him.  
  
“Ban-kai!” Once again, there was an explosion, and when it cleared, Ichigo was holding a sword identical to that of Tensa Zangetsu’s.  
  
“Wow, this is amazing.” Ichigo said, awed by the vast amount of raw power he now held. Then he gave a sadistic smirk. “Next time we fight Yhwach, he won't stand a chance. Now, how about we have some fun?”  
  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  
  


It was later that evening when Yhwach attacked again, this time in the heart of Seireitei, destroying much of what little had been left standing. Ichigo and Aizen, along with Rukia, Renji, and his human friends had immediately gone straight to the source and engaged the mad Quincy in battle. At first they had taken turns swapping out to be healed by Orihime while the others fought, but it had quickly escalated to the point that only Ichigo and Aizen were able to keep up with Yhwach, who was using a both his bow, and a Seele Schneider bolt as a sword.  
  
Ichigo had discovered that Aizen now had full control of his shi-kai again, unlike when he had used it during their escape from Soul Society. But even the illusions could only help so much. Ichigo had long since released his own shi-kai, the Hollowfied reiatsu serving as protection against his power being stolen, lest it hasten the effects of the soul suicide in the Quincy. His appearance had not bothered his friends once they knew he was still himself, unlike previous times. It was time to take it up another notch.  
  
“Ban-kai!” Ichigo released his full power, causing everyone else on the battlefield to pause as it settled down. Ichigo however, had no such hesitation, and took advantage of the momentary distraction, charging up energy at the tip of his sword. The fighting resumed, and Ichigo swung his sword, shooting a blast of energy that was half cero, half getsuga. Yhwach blocked it, not realizing it was yet another distraction. Ichigo glanced at Aizen and made a gesture, suggesting that they quickly switch places. They did, and when Yhwach dispersed the attack, it still looked as if his opponents were in the same positions.  
  
Deeming Aizen to be less dangerous, Yhwach launched an attack at Ichigo, hoping to take him out quickly. It proved to be a fatal mistake, for when they crossed swords, another hybrid cero blasted him in the back, this time at full power. Not having been prepared, it left Yhwach severely wounded, while the image in front of him casually broke the swordlock and delivered the killing blow. Ichigo was disturbingly calm, hardly even fazed by what he had just done. Sure, he had been through innumerable battles, but nobody could ever recall him actually killing someone deliberately. His fights generally ended when one of the parties fell either unconscious, or immobile.  
  
The Quincy King fell to the ground, never to rise again as the life drained from him. Moments later, the remnants of the Hollowfication poison flared up, consuming the body in black flames, leaving no trace behind as the soul suicide completed. Rukia stood from where she had been crouched behind Orihime’s shield with the others, and strode over to stand in front of Ichigo, who still appeared entirely unconcerned.  
  
“What is wrong with you? Are you stuck in one of your dazes again?” Rukia demanded. She was unaware that Aizen had come up behind her until he spoke.  
  
“Nothing’s wrong.” Rukia was about to respond with a confused ‘what’, but then Ichigo held out his blade.  
  
“Shatter.” Aizen and Ichigo’s images shattered, switching their positions.  
  
“Of course. You activated the illusion when you switched positions, so that Ichigo could attack from behind.” Rukia realised. By now, Orihime had dispelled her Saten Kessun and the others had also come over to hear the explanation.  
  
“Well, it’s all done now. He’s gone for good.” Ichigo replied. “We should head back to everyone else and figure out what comes next. And Orihime, you can help out at Squad Four, if that’s okay with you. I’m sure Captain Unohana would really appreciate your unique healing ability.”  
  
“Oh, yes. Of course I'll help!” She replied.  
  
“You guys go on ahead. I need to reseal my Zanpakuto, but I don't want to hold you up. I'll find you when I get there.” Ichigo said. At the dismissal, Aizen led the group off in the direction of the other Shinigami, but Rukia stayed behind.  
  
“You don't need to wait for me.” Ichigo told her.  
  
“Don't bother trying to make me leave. I'm staying with you, otherwise who knows what trouble you'll cause before you make it back to the Squads.” Rukia replied. “You always manage to get into something, whether it's the Eleventh coming after you, or you just being a general moron.” Ichigo simply stared at her, a small grin pulling at his lips at her mocking scolding.  
  
“Well, let me get this done so you can escort me back then, little Miss Kuchiki.” She glared at him for the teasing, but it wasn't enough to hide her amusement.  
  
Ichigo closed his eyes and took a slow breath, clearly concentrating. Bit by bit, he pulled in his power a piece at a time. He repeated this several times before he decided he had enough of it under control for the next step. Holding his sword in front of him, he lightly gripped the hilt with both hands and clamped down on his reiatsu. The sword split in two as it reverted to shi-kai, a blade in each hand. Dismissing the rest of his power, the markings faded from his skin as the horn crumbled and his eyes returned to their original colors. Sheathing his now sealed swords, Ichigo looked over at Rukia, who had been watching him through the entire process.  
  
“Sealing Zangetsu is so much more difficult than releasing him.” Ichigo stated flatly. Rukia only gave a short laugh and whacked him on the arm.  
  
“That's only because your reiatsu control still sucks.” She told him, and began walking away.  
  
“Hey! I've gotten better, I'm not that horrible at it! I just haven't had a lot of practice!” Ichigo followed after her as he replied.  
  
“Sure. We’ll see if you ever get any better. After all, practice can only do so much if you don't have the skill.”  
  
“Hey!” They continued their argument as they kept walking, neither admitting that they enjoyed the familiarity it gave them. It had ended when Ichigo scooped her up and shunpo’d away at top speed, asking her when they stopped how he could shunpō like that if he had no control. She reluctantly had to admit that he wasn't as hopeless as she'd thought. Ichigo had simply shook his head in amusement before carrying her the rest of the way back.  
  



	17. The Butterfly Effect

Packing his supplies away in the Squad Four medic pack he had been given, Ichigo stood from where he had been kneeled by the patient’s side. Excusing himself from the room, he left and turned down the hall. He came to a stop moments later in front of the open door to Captain Unohana’s office, where she sat behind her desk sorting medical records. Noticing his arrival, Unohana looked up at him.

“Have you finished?” Unohana asked.

“Yes. I've just tended to the last one.” Ichigo replied.

Unohana made note of the time then replied, “You may be done for the day. Thank you for all your help this past week. If you see your friends on your way out, please let them know that they are also done for today.”

“Sure.” Yes, it was now a week after the death of Yhwach, and Ichigo, along with Orihime and Uryu, had been helping at the Fourth. Once Orihime had mentioned that Ichigo and Uryu both had experience in the area of medicine, they hadn't stood a chance against Unohana. Now, it had been an entire week, and it was their last day of work. After today, Ichigo’s friends would be heading home, and he would be staying in Soul Society. With his most recent power boost, he wouldn't even be able to visit the World of the Living until a new gigai and reiatsu suppressor could be made for him.

The Shinigami of the Twelfth were doubtful if that would even work though, and were concerned that a suppressor would only make his reiatsu build up and cause severe injury. So he just had to wait for them to come up with a different solution.

So many other things had happened as well during the course of that one week.

Gin had been found during the war, shocking many people that he was still alive. He had been in a simple Shihakusho with no haori, and had multiple broken reiatsu suppressors on him. Rangiku had been one of the first to find out, and it hadn't taken long for her to get to him. When she asked him how he was still alive, he told her that his contact with the Hogyoku must have prevented him from dying right away. The Onmitsukido had taken him in, and he had been allowed to live because he ultimately had good intentions, and had tried to kill Aizen. His punishment had gotten him placed in an unseated position, and his powers had been restricted.

Reintroducing Gin and Aizen had been a tense situation, one that neither party had been at all comfortable with. It had gone smoothly enough, but there had definitely been a strained air around them the entire time. A brief argument had exploded between them, only being resolved when Aizen had returned the fragment of Rangiku’s soul he had stolen, allowing Gin to retrieve it from the Hogyoku. After that, they had gone their separate ways, still uneasy with each other, but definitely on much better terms than they had been before.

The Reio had only been temporarily healed by Yoruichi and Orihime’s efforts, and had become irreversibly unstable, requiring a replacement. Having nothing holding him to his Squad with Chojiro gone, Yamamoto had taken over the position. Aizen had presented the Hogyoku to him, and they had used it to transfer the Reio’s power. The Hogyoku had been left with Yamamoto, and, according to Aizen, it could now only be used by the Soul King to transfer the role to their successor.

With Chojiro dead and Yamamoto now the Soul King, the Captain and Lieutenant positions of the First were both vacant, and many other Squads also had gaps in their leadership. The Shinigami that had left Soul Society with Ichigo had not yet returned to their positions, and Mayuri had been killed in the fighting. The Visored that had rejoined the Gotei were also insecure in their ranks, because they were still considered outcasts by the law. There simply were not enough people to fill in the vacant positions of authority. And that was the reason that Aizen, the Captains, and the Visored now stood in the chambers of the Central 46.

“Why have you called the Central 46 to meet?” One of the 46 demanded.

Aizen stepped to the front of the group, speaking as a representative for all of them. “I have called this meeting to give a warning to all of you. Your control over the Gotei is over. The Gotei was never meant to serve you, we were to work side by side with you. So I give you this as a warning. We will hear your advice, but we will make our own decisions from now on. If you try to force control over the Gotei again, shall we simply say that things will not go well on your end.”

“This is absurd!” Another 46 member shouted. “You cannot gain independence simply by declaring it! We will not allow it!”

“Really?” Ichigo now came to stand in the front beside Aizen. “I don’t think you’re in a position to object. The only one you must answer to is the Soul King, correct? Well, let me tell you something. The Soul King that you have served no longer exists. That King has died, and been replaced with a new King. And the new King is on our side, not yours. If it comes down to it, we could call him here and he would stand by us, giving you no choice but to listen to us.”

Aizen picked up where Ichigo left off. “Besides, you are still only replacements for the old central 46. You have not truly earned your positions, you are too young and inexperienced to know all that you need to. I will not allow you to repeat the mistake of the old, and keep Soul Society stagnate. We are working towards change, and I will not allow you to stand in our way.”

“...” There was a long, tense, silence from everyone in the room.

“Very well. The Gotei will no longer serve under the Central 46. Instead, we shall attempt to work side by side.” There were cries of outrage from other members, but they were silenced when the member speaking shouted at them. “As the head of the 46, my word is final! There will be no more discussion on the matter!”

The head of the 46 returned his attention to Aizen. “That matter is settled. Is there anything else you wish to discuss? Likely something having to do with those hybrids standing behind you?”

“Actually, yes. They had been reinstated as Captains during the brief absence of the Central 46 under wartime protocol. Now that the wartime protocol has expired, so has any protection for hybrid Shinigami. I request that the ban on hybrid Shinigami be lifted for them.”

“And why should we do that? Hybrids are banned for the act of seeking a higher power through means of Hollowfication, and those hybrids are a potential risk to others.” Head 46 stated.

“As it happened, none of these ‘hybrids’ chose Hollowfication. It was forced upon them, and there was no way for them to reject it. They are not mixed blood by their own choice.” Aizen countered.

“And how would you know this, Sosuke Aizen? It is a very different story then we have been told before.”

Aizen shocked everyone with what he did next. He bowed down on one knee, his head lowered when he spoke next. “I know, because they were the victims of my experiments with Hollows. I created the false story that had been spread and accepted as the truth. And now, I admit to what I have done to them, and ask for their official pardon from the law.”

Head 46 turned to the assembled Visored. “Is this true, what this man has said?” There was a chorus of affirmation, and he looked back to Aizen. “I see. They will be excepted from the ban, and are no longer threatened by the law. However, you have just admitted to a serious crime by telling us this truth. This cannot be let go.”

“I understand.” Aizen said, standing once again. Whatever Head 46 was about to say next was cut off by Ichigo standing in front of Aizen and speaking.

“I get that he’s done some bad stuff, but hear me out before you make your decision.” He requested.

Head 46 considered him for a moment, then nodded. “This had been a rather unusual conversation so far. I will listen to what you have to say.”

Ichigo took a moment to focus his thoughts, then began speaking, telling them what had been occupying his mind since he’d spoken with Aizen several days ago.

“I know that he’s done experiments with Hollows, and turned against Soul Society, but those are only two things that he’s done. He’s also done a lot to help Soul Society as well. Much of what I’m going to say I’ve gotten from the Visored, and have confirmed with Aizen himself. When he first joined the Gotei, he was a genuinely caring and hardworking person, who only wanted to do his best. At first, he did fine in the Squads, but then he had started to notice little things here and there that did not seem right. So he dug deeper into the government and history of Soul Society. The more he learned, the more cases of corruption in the system he started to find.

“He had tried many times to make someone listen, but no one would, not even when he became a Lieutenant. So he kept searching for answers, and eventually found out about the existence of the Soul King. The Soul King rules over everything, but rules directly over the Central 46. He thought that by becoming the King, he would be able to change the system and get rid of the underlying corruption. This was about the time he began experimenting with Hollows, trying to find a way to gain a higher power that could transcend Shinigami and allow someone to virtually become a God. During his experiments, he had started making his Hogyoku, and discovered the different effects it could have on souls and their power.

“This is what started everything that came to follow soon after. Him obtaining Kisuke Urahara’s Hogyoku to complete his own, defecting from the Soul Society, starting a war to obtain the King’s Key, everything is all a part of the original problem of the systems corruption. Granted, his methods may not have been all that great, but it was for a good reason. And since we’ve started working together, he’s been making an honest effort to help. He’s the reason that there were so few casualties from the Quincy’s first strike, and he helped me take down their leader in our last fight. Everything he’s done, had been done so with good intentions. And he has been working to make sure that those sorts of things don’t happen again.

“Now, go ahead and make your decision, but think about what I’ve just told you.” Ichigo finished talking and stepped back, letting his words sink in as the 46 discussed among themselves.

“If that is all, you are dismissed. We will send a Hell Butterfly once we reach a decision.” Head 46 stated. They took their leave, and Aizen followed Ichigo out behind everyone else. They left the Central Meeting Hall and everyone went their separate ways back to their divisions. Now alone with Ichigo, Aizen turned to speak to him.

“I’m surprised that you gave such a long speech in my defense. I was not aware that you cared that much.”

Ichigo stopped walking and gave him an incredulous look. “Hell yeah, I care! I’m not just gonna stand by and let you deal with this yourself. We may not necessarily be friends, but I do care about what happens to those close to me. Plus, I can’t let anything happen to you when you just saved my friends by admitting what you did. Even if nobody else cares, I’ve seen the progress you’ve made, and I’m happy that you’ve come so far so quickly. Of course you deserve a second chance, and I wasn’t about to let those jerks take that away from you.”

Ichigo started walking again, and looked back at Aizen when he realised the other wasn't following. “Well? Come on, let's go. If you want more of an explanation, we can talk back at the barracks.”

This prompted them to keep moving, and the rest of the walk was spent with the two of them quietly talking. Their conversation continued even when they had returned, only stopping hours later when a Hell Butterfly showed up. Aizen reached out to receive it, but Ichigo was closer, and it landed on his finger instead. There was several seconds of silence while the message was relayed, then Ichigo smiled when the butterfly flew over to Aizen. The butterfly left, and Ichigo broke the silence that had formed.

“Well, someone’s lucky. They just dropped all charges as long as they don't find anything else. I didn't think they'd be that lenient.”

“Generally, they are not. I believe we made a pretty strong impression earlier though, which likely helped.”

“We should probably inform the Captains that you're not a criminal anymore. The easiest way would be a meeting, but whose gonna call it? We're not Captains, so we can't do that.”

Aizen shook his head and smiled. “What makes you say that? Of course we can, there’s always a way.”

“Do I even want to know what you're planning to do?” Ichigo asked in a resigned tone.

“Just follow my lead. You'll see.”

-AFT-AFT-AFT-  


Aizen had called the meeting, and was standing in the First’s Captains position with an unmarked haori. Everyone had gathered, and were clearly curious as to why Aizen was leading the meeting. The announcement that Aizen was free to rejoin the Gotei went over well enough, though there were a few who objected. Many of them had some degree of respect for him though, for helping save the Soul Society, even if they still didn't particularly like him all that much.  
  
Any Shinigami that were previously in the Gotei were allowed to rejoin as well, and were given their positions back. What triggered an explosive reaction was when Aizen requested to be a Captain again.  
  
This caused such a commotion because the only positions open were for the Captaincy of the Twelfth, Seventh, and First, and the First currently did not have a Lieutenant to take charge, making it the most urgent Squad to have a Captain assigned. Because of this, Aizen would be defaulted to this position if his request for Captaincy was approved.  
  
Soi-fon immediately shot down the request. “There is no reason to allow a traitor to be a Captain! Especially since he was already a Captain once, and he abandoned his position!”  
  
Her outburst prompted several others to start to argue, but they were quickly stopped by Unohana. Despite the protest, the application had moved through the process, and they now needed at least half of the current Captains to approve. The next few minutes were filled with silent tension as the vote proceeded.  
  
These were the results of the vote:  
Against were Soi-Fon, Rose, Shinji, Lieutenant Iba, Kensei, and Toshiro, while those who approved were Unohana, Byakuya, Shunsui, Zaraki, Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, and Jushiro.  
  
Unohana spoke once the votes had finished. “Exactly half have approved, the minimum requirement has been met. As the First is the only Squad without a Captain or Lieutenant, his position defaults to Captain of the First. Welcome to the Gotei, Head-Captain Aizen.”  
  
Aizen bowed in front of them and announced, “Thank you, I will dedicate myself to serving the Gotei and Soul Society as best I can.” He straightened back up, and turned to Jushiro, standing at the end of one of the rows.  
  
“Captain Ukitake, could you bring in the one waiting outside?” Aizen asked. Jushiro nodded, and left the meeting hall, coming back moments later with Ichigo following him.  
  
“Thank you. Ichigo, come here.” Ichigo moved to stand in front of Aizen while Jushiro went back to his place in line.  
  
“Ichigo Kurosaki. As Head-Captain, I offer you the position of Lieutenant of the First. You are free to accept or decline as you wish.” Ichigo took several moments to respond, slightly shocked at the sudden offer.  
  
_‘Did he really just offer me that position as the Head Captain? No, that's not what I need to focus on, do I accept or refuse? It could only help me at this point…’_  
  
“I accept.” Ichigo replied.  
  
“Welcome, Lieutenant Kurosaki.” Aizen couldn't help but smile at the frown that briefly crossed Ichigo’s face at the formal title.  
  
Trying to stay polite in front of all the Captains, Ichigo gave a small bow. “Thank you, Captain.” Standing straight once more, he took his place next to Aizen, paying attention to find out what he had missed before he came in.  
  
“Captains Hitsugaya and Kuchiki, someone will be stopping by your Squads to deliver your Haori. Lieutenants Kuchiki and Abarai will also be returned to their positions and will receive their Vice-Captain badges. Captains Unohana, Kyoraku, and Ukitake, and Ichigo, please stay behind. Everyone else is dismissed.” The room quickly emptied, leaving behind the few that had been asked to stay.  
  
Waiting for the last few people to leave, Aizen spoke quietly to Ichigo. “This will be a good experience for you, a sort of introduction into what kind of work Captains and Lieutenants must do. It's not all office duties and managing their Squads, there’s many other things that must be taken care of as well. As Lieutenant of the First, you are essentially Second in Command of the entire Gotei. You will need to be able to manage any situation that is brought to you, no matter how unique the case may be.” He returned his attention to the remaining Captains that had gathered closer, now that the two rows were gone.  
  
Shunsui spoke, asking, “What did you need that you asked us to stay behind?”  
  
“As the most experienced Captains who served under Yamamoto the longest, I would like to have your advice on a few matters. You were already aware that both Ichigo and I wanted to make change to Soul Society. We have already made great progress by appointing a new Soul King, but that is only the beginning. For progress to continue, we also need to make some modifications to the Gotei itself. That is where I would like your help.” Aizen stated.  
  
“What changes could be so drastic that you would ask for advice from the three most experienced Captains?” Jushiro questioned. “I would think that there is very little that could cause such a big concern.”  
  
Remembering a discussion with Aizen and knowing where this was going, Ichigo spoke up. “We’re actually planning something pretty big, something that could change the entire Gotei.”  
  
When Ichigo was sure he had their attention, he continued. “Other than being a military force, there isn't much that the Gotei does as a whole. Some Squads like the Second, Fourth, and Twelfth have specific things that they specialize in, but not every Squad does. And from what I've been told, the Fourth only takes people who apply and specialize in healing. But placement for all the other Squads is pretty much random, even for ones like the Twelfth, who specialise in something that a randomly assigned person may not be interested in or even good at.  
  
“So our idea is this: with the Fourth being an exception, because application is already required, the remaining Squads that have a specific specialty will be modified and split. Take for example the Twelfth. Squad Twelve would become a regular Squad, but that does not mean the SRDI would just disappear. Instead, it would become its own organization, separate from any Squad, and free from any duties that it may have had before as part of the Twelfth. Anyone that wants to join a specialty organization would be free to do so, instead of being part of that Squad by random placement.  
  
“We wanted to get your opinion on this, because it would be quite a big change. There would need to be Captains assigned to the Squad or Organization, depending on where the current Captains decide to stay. That could cause quite a bit of positions to get mixed up during the transition.”  
  
Having made his contribution to the conversation, Ichigo stepped back and simply listened to the rest of the Captains talk about this information, only joining in when someone specifically asked him a question.  
  
_‘This is going to take a while to get everything sorted out, isn’t it? Cause this wasn’t the only thing he wanted to discuss. This is going to be a long conversation…’_ Ichigo thought.  


-AFT-AFT-AFT-  


The meeting had ended, and Aizen was leading Ichigo through the First’s Barracks, showing him where their quarters were. Ichigo wasn’t too surprised to find that both the Captain’s and Lieutenant’s rooms were next to each other, and very close to their shared Office. They each went their separate ways, and Ichigo went straight to his new room. Completely exhausted from the day's events, he pulled the futon mattress out of the closet, and had just gotten it set up before dropping himself onto it. Laying back, he closed his eyes and contacted his Zanpakuto.  
  
“What a crazy day it’s been. First I met the Central 46, who were just as much of jerks as I had been told, then Aizen called an impromptu meeting and we became Captain and Lieutenant, then we didn't even leave the meeting before we immediately had another one with Unohana, Jushiro, and Shunsui. I hope this won’t be a daily occurrence, it’s way to exhausting.” Ichigo stated.  
  
_“I don’t expect it will be. It is only so busy right now because you are trying to rebuild an entire society from the ground up. You still have not even mentioned what you would like to contribute. If you are going to do it though, now would be the best time. Do it while things are still changing. Keep in mind that it will be a fairly ambitious project, as the Soul Society is a massive place, you have not only the Seireitei, but also Eighty districts in each of the four directions. You will need many people to dedicate themselves to this project for a very long time, and even then you will remain in charge of it long after the initial setup it complete. Find as much support as you can before things settle down.”_ Kurogetsu advised.  
  
“Yeah, you’re probably right. I don’t want to have it go through the new Head Captain first though. I want to propose it myself to the Seireitei as a whole.”  
  
**“Ya know, everyone knows ya well enough that they’d probably all show up if ya just asked them all to gather. And something like this is best done sooner rather than later. You might even want to do it before news of the stuff from today’s meeting starts getting spread around tomorrow, so that they ain’t getting tied up with all that other stuff.”** Shirogetsu added.  
  
Ichigo let out a tired groan, but had to agree. “I’ll do it today.” He opened his eyes and sat up, looking at the window and seeing the sun almost ready to go down.  
  
“I better do it right now, there’s only a few hours before sunset. What would be the fastest way to spread a message? Probably that one kido spell, but I don’t know kido yet. The butterflies will be to slow to make it to everyone in time. I guess I just need to go myself. Could you guys help too?” Ichigo asked. Receiving confirmation from both spirits, he materialised them in front of him.  
  
“Inform either the Captain, Lieutenant, or just spread the message through the Squad if it’s a Captain that doesn’t like us. The time and location is the Community Event Courtyard at sunset. Only tell them that it’s a special request from First Lieutenant Kurosaki, that should be enough to get their attention. Let’s go get this done!” They each took off in a different direction, eager to spread the message.  
  
_‘Well, I suppose this is my first official act as Lieutenant Kurosaki. I hope this goes smoothly.’_ Ichigo thought as he ran. _‘Although, we’ll only know once this thing actually gets going. This ought to be interesting.’_  
  
About two hours later as the sun was setting, found Ichigo at the head of the Courtyard, with what looked to be the majority of Seireitei gathered in front of him. Anxious about presenting his idea to so many people at once, he was hesitant to begin. _‘Best to get this over with.’_ A mental nudge from his spirits helped him focus, and he moved to a better position where everyone could easily see him.  
  
Noticing everyone's attention shift to him, he began to speak. “Thank you for joining me on such short notice. I’m sure everyone’s wondering what this is about, so I’ll get straight to the point. I will be starting a system to keep track of all the souls that enter Soul Society, and am recruiting anyone who wishes to help. The purpose of the system will be to use a person’s name and the name of any relatives they remember to reunite families that have been separated on their way to the afterlife. I know there are countless souls who wander Rukongai, never finding their family, even though some stay here from a few centuries to millennia. The Shinigami are already able to keep track of the souls that come and go, but we can improve their life by simply adding another step in the process of monitoring souls.  
  
“I will also be forming teams that will be in charge of bringing up the standard of living in Rukongai, especially in the outer districts. The Seireitei and the first several Rukongai districts already have a pretty good standard, and we need to work on expanding that into the districts that are further out. Anyone who is interested and willing to help in either or both of these projects is more than welcome. I can take an initial list of names right now, and anyone else can stop by my office to speak with me later.” Ichigo stepped down from where he had been speaking, and was almost immediately surrounded by people wanting to talk to him.  
  
Unable to control the crowds himself, he was relieved when he saw some familiar faces intervene. Most of the Captains and Lieutenants he was friends with had shown up, and were trying to organize the chaos that had exploded. The crowd was quickly formed into a line, and Rukia and Renji came up to stand on either side of him. Exchanging short greetings, Ichigo dug a couple of notebooks and a handful of pens out of a bag he had been carrying. Quickly opening the notebooks, he wrote _‘Soul Records’_ on the first page, and _‘Rukongai Renovation’_ on the first page from the back.  
  
He gave a notebook to both Rukia and Renji, and the three of them got to work taking names and notes. By the time they had finished, the sun had long since gone down, and it was now dark out. Stuffing papers back into his bag, Ichigo and the others left the lighted courtyard. They walked together until they passed the Sixth, and then Ichigo continued on alone. At least, until Shirogetsu decided to manifest and walk with him.  
  
“That went pretty well.” Ichigo commented. “We got a lot of people to sign up for both projects. I'll have to sort out all the names later, but this is a great start.”  
  
**“You sure know how to make an impression with just a few words.”** Shirogetsu agreed. **“You’ll definitely live up to your position, if you managed to do something like this on such short notice.”**  
  
Ichigo’s face flushed a bit in embarrassment as he replied. “I'm not doing any of this because of my position, I'm doing it because I want to. I'll do what I want, and if they have an issue with it, then I don't care about some rank.”  
  
Considering his spirit for a moment as they walked, Ichigo asked a question that he had been wondering about for a while. “Why do you like being manifested so much? I rarely see other Shinigami’s Zanpakuto materialized, even if they’re doing something like training, where their Zanpakuto could be helpful.”  
  
**“...”** Shirogetsu thought about this for a few moments before starting to reply. **“I like it because I was shown what can be done like this. Most other Zanpakuto are only manifested when they need to fight with their Shinigami, whether for extensive training, or if they’re trying to achieve ban-kai. When you let me live with you in the living world, I experienced much more than what most Zanpakuto would ever see.**  
**“The Shinigami are taught that Zanpakuto are alive, and an extension of one’s own soul, but they still regard them to some extent as only weapons with special powers. You see us a bit differently. Yes, we all understand that me and the other ‘Getsu are part of you and the source of your powers, but you see us as our own beings.”** “Hmm. I never thought of it that way. Are Shinigami really so indifferent towards their Zanpakuto? I thought they would have more than just the occasional contact with them. Even when you guys are in my inner world and your swords are sealed, we still have frequent conversation with each other.”  
  
**“Unfortunately, yeah, they are that way. We’re a rather unusual case, but in a good way.”**  
  
“Huh. Yeah, you are rather unusual, aren’t you?” Ichigo smirked.  
  
**“And what’s that supposed to mean?”** Though the tone was harsh, Shirogetsu also had a small grin forming.  
  
“I mean, seriously. I’ve never met anyone even remotely like you, and I doubt I ever will again. Who else could be so sane and insane at the same time?” Now they were prodding each other, waiting to see who would break first.  
  
**“But ya gotta love me. You wouldn’t be able ta live without me.”** Shirogetsu put as much sarcasm as he could into that sentence.  
  
“I do just fine on my own, thank you.” Ichigo pretended to be offended, but Shirogetsu could easily tell he didn’t really mean it.  
  
Shirogetsu just laughed and ruffled Ichigo’s already messy hair. **“I know. You'll be fine.”**  
  
“Hey!” Ichigo protested the action, but he had a smile even as he pushed him off and tried to appear annoyed.  
  
**“Hm? What are you going to do about it?”** Knowing he had Ichigo wound up, he knew all he needed was a little extra push.  
  
They stared each other down for several seconds, then, in one quick motion, Shirogetsu reached over and shoved Ichigo. Unprepared for the action, Ichigo stumbled, but immediately regained his footing and chased after his spirit who was now on the run. The pretense of annoyance completely disappeared as Ichigo focused on his target, the two of them enjoying the wind as they slipped into shundo, pushing themselves to go faster, Ichigo to catch Shirogetsu, and Shirogetsu to avoid being caught.  
  
Ichigo wasn't sure what exactly they were doing, but he loved it. It was somewhere between chase and hide and seek. Shirogetsu would take off ahead of him, and when Ichigo lost sight of him around a corner, Shirogetsu would wait for Ichigo to find him, only to take off again right before he could be caught. It was made all the more challenging by the fact that it was now almost completely dark out, aside from a few lights here and there.  
  
Their game was made all the more fun as they avoided the lights to keep from being spotted. No doubt there would be several Shinigami who could feel the bursts of reishi they were making with their shundo, and they did not want their game to be interrupted. They had made their way around most of Seireitei before they began to tire after nearly an hour of full speed shundo. Both of them were slowing down, and were about ready to collapse when they made it to an open area that appeared to be a garden of some sort.  
  
In a last attempt to catch Shirogetsu, Ichigo put as much power as he could into one last step of shundo. Shirogetsu had not been expecting it, and so did nothing to increase his speed and dodge. They crashed into each other and fell to the ground, both slightly shocked at what had just happened. Then Ichigo gave a breathless laugh as he pushed himself off Shirogetsu and collapsed next to him in the soft grass.  
  
“Finally got you. Took me long enough.” Though he was exhausted, there was a note of triumph in his voice.  
**“Hmm. You definitely got me. With your stubbornness, I knew you wouldn't give up that easily.”** Shirogetsu was actually impressed that Ichigo had managed to catch him, because of his wielder's inexperience with shundo.  
  
“It's so nice here.” Ichigo suddenly said. “I can't believe a place this nice survived all that destruction.”  
  
It was in fact a rather beautiful place they had ended up in. It was a large area of open grass that was surrounded by trees, with a few patches of flowers scattered around within it. Even in the darkness, there was still some light from the moon reflecting off the surface of a small pond.  
  
_“It must be pretty far out on the edge of Seireitei to be this quiet.”/em >Kurogetsu stated. _“Speaking of which, you should start heading back if you really are so far away.”__  
  
“Oh, don't say that.” Ichigo groaned. “I'm already exhausted, I really don't want to have to cross Seireitei to get home.”  
  
Surprising himself with what he just said, Ichigo stopped for a moment. Since when did he consider Seireitei home? It had only been a little over two weeks since he’d become a permanent resident, but somehow he already felt he belonged there. The World of the Living had barely even occupied his thoughts, aside from his family and friends, and yet he was already putting his all into rebuilding Soul Society. That thought reminded him of his current exhaustion.  
  
He took a quick glance at his surroundings, then looked up into the shadowy branches of one of the largest trees. Picking up his fallen bag, he jumped up into the tree and settled himself in a comfortable spot where several branches joined the trunk, providing support.  
  
“I'll stay here tonight. If you want me to go back tonight, you'll have to take me. I'm not walking that far right now.” Ichigo stated flatly. Despite how childish Ichigo sounded at the moment, Zangetsu knew he was serious. Shirogetsu quietly moved to sit at the base of the tree and leaned back against it.  
  
Though he wouldn't say so, he didn't like the idea of Ichigo sleeping outside. There were too many things that could happen in such a situation, and it made him uneasy about leaving Ichigo by himself. Thus the reason he was watching everything around them, tense and on edge. Ichigo fell asleep fairly quickly, his exhaustion hastening the process.  
  
Sure that Ichigo was sleeping, Kurogetsu manifested himself next to Shirogetsu, who turned to look at him.  
  
“I'm still not used to you always looking like Tensa, after knowing you as Ossan for so long.” Shirogetsu commented. Kurogetsu only shook his head at him, before speaking.  
  
_“Go back to the inner world and rest. I'll make sure Ichigo gets home safe.”_ The younger teen promised.  
  
“Alright. Thanks, Getsu.” Shirogetsu vanished from where he had been sitting, and Kurogetsu jumped into the tree to retrieve Ichigo. Picking him up, he left the tree before settling Ichigo into a more comfortable position on his back. It was a long walk, but eventually they got back to the First’s barracks. Seeing him carrying Ichigo, the guard let them in without question. Making his way to their room, Kurogetsu lay Ichigo on the bedding that had been taken out and left earlier.  
  
Dropping Ichigo’s bag on the desk, Kurogetsu sat on the floor next to Ichigo as he covered Ichigo with the sheets. Leaning over to fix the edge of the blanket, he lay down when he felt how soft the bedding was. He never quite got around to ending his manifestation before his own exhaustion caught up with him, and he fell asleep next to Ichigo.  
  
Unknown to him, Ichigo had woken up in the middle of the night and found him lying on top of the blanket, shivering from the chill of the night. Brotherly instincts taking over at seeing the younger teen, he was not quite willing to wake him up and make him leave, so he had simply moved him over a bit and covered both of them with the blanket. Kurogetsu had relaxed considerably from the warmth, and was now sleeping much better.  
  
Seeing him settle down, Ichigo lay down himself, once more getting comfortable. Having the younger one to look after during the night reminded him of when his sisters used to come to him in the middle of the night, and all three of them would always end up sleeping together in Ichigo’s bed. Dismissing the memory, he let himself drift off again. This time they both slept peacefully, and they didn’t stir again for the rest of the night.  



	18. Life Can Start Again

_Ichigo once again stood in the throne room, having arrived at the Reio’s chamber just in time to see Yhwach’s sword pierce through the crystal surrounding the King. Ichigo stepped forward, mouth open to speak, but was stopped by Aizen holding an arm out in front of him._

_“Wait.” The order was given quietly, but everyone heard it. Yhwach turned to look at the new arrivals, malicious reiatsu flaring, and a triumphant gleam in his eyes._  
  
_“You’re already too late. The Reio is no more, you have no more moves to make.” Ichigo pushed past Aizen and made a dash to reach the Reio._  
  
_“Will you draw that sword out and save him? Do it then. But the moment you take it out…” He looked behind him where Ichigo had just grabbed the sword. “... be prepared to destroy the entire Soul Society with your own hands.” Ichigo drew the sword, and a pattern quickly spread from his hand up his arm, taking control over it._  
_  
_ “What’s happening?! The sword…” Ichigo fought even as his arm rose, with the clear intention to bring it down to kill the Reio. The marks on his arm spread quickly and the sword swung down, cutting the Reio apart. Falling in two pieces, the Reio was no more, but Ichigo wasn't done. Turning to face his friends, the blue veins had spread even further, consuming him. Gripping the sword tightly, he rushed at them, blade crashing down on Orihime’s shield and rebounding off. Shunpo’ing around and behind the shield, Orihime was the first to fall. Chad and Yoruichi didn't fare any better, not having been prepared for the attack. Aizen blocked the attack against him, then threw Ichigo back with a strong swing of his sword.

_When it was clear that Ichigo wasn't going to let up, Aizen didn't hesitate to fight back with the intent to kill. Eventually Aizen managed to bind Ichigo with kido, but was shot from behind before he could deliver the final blow. The burst of glowing blue arrows left Aizen severely wounded, but not yet dead as he fell. Yhwach came over, letting the bow return to its pendent, and took his sword from Ichigo’s hand. The blut vein immediately faded, allowing him to regain his senses and control, but he could do nothing to break the kido and stop Yhwach as the Quincy delivered the killing blow to Aizen. Aizen’s kido vanished, leaving Ichigo to fall to the ground, horrified at what just happened. Yhwach turned back to Ichigo, a dark smile on his face._

_“Come, let us destroy the Soul Society once and for all.”_

_The surroundings blurred and faded, merging together in a shadowed mass of color. He began to hear fragmented whispers in the darkness._

_‘...the end has come…’_

_‘...no one saved us…’_

_‘...hope is lost…’_

_He tried to cover his ears, close his eyes, anything to block them out. The voices grew louder, until they were shouting, deafening, voices of agony._

_‘The worlds are falling apart’_

_‘We've been left to die’_

_‘Nobody cared to save us’_

_Soon, they changed again, this time screaming abuse to him._

_‘...Never should have trusted that Substitute Shinigami…’_

_‘He abandoned us...’_

_‘Betrayed us…’_

_Finally, the voices died down, until only one remained._

_‘Such a childish fool could never have saved anyone’_

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Ichigo woke suddenly, lashing out at the one shaking his shoulder. His fist connected with solid flesh, throwing the person away from him. Nowhere near awake yet, Ichigo was running on the adrenaline rush from his nightmare and tried to attack again, only to be knocked back down by a smaller figure who immediately pinned him to the floor. They said something, but it never registered as words, his mind clouded with terror. Crying out, he screamed and thrashed around, desperate to free himself from his attacker. After fighting for another minute, his struggles soon died off when he realized he couldn't free himself. No longer actively fighting, Ichigo could finally begin to process what was happening. His eyes had adjusted to the dimly lit room, and he could see who the two figures were.  
  
The adrenaline rush slowly wore off, and Ichigo went limp under the one holding him down. Satisfied there would not be anymore fighting, Kurogetsu let go and moved aside, pulling the shaken teen into his arms. Shirogetsu had also come back over, along with Kasai who had also been woken. The three simply sat there with him, Ichigo stuck in an embrace between his two spirits with Kasai on his lap. They held onto him, providing silent comfort as he broke down crying, still shaking uncontrollably as the night terror clung on. Soul Society may be as close to heaven as they’d get, but they had most certainly put the young Shinigami through Hell and back.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Ichigo had been officially part of the Gotei for almost a month now, and he had adapted quickly to the new lifestyle. During the rare moments that he wasn't helping rebuild something, Rukia and Renji would often drag him out to the Rukon districts to check out the shops. More often than not though, Ichigo was needed in the Soul Society, and was kept busy. As Lieutenant of the First, it was mostly his responsibility to organize and oversee the repairs.  
  
For the next several months, Ichigo put forth as much effort as he could to help get the Soul Society rebuilt as quickly as possible. It had not taken long for him to settle into a daily routine. Every morning he would get up when the sun rose, and take his time getting ready for the day. This morning was no different.  
  
Throwing the covers off and trying to wake up, Ichigo got up and dug out a clean Shihakusho. This Shihakusho however, was not black; instead, it was varying shades of dark blue. It was something that had started not long after he started living in the Soul Society, and people came to expect it from him. Only when it was important, or during training that he would wear the standard black, because he did not care if it got ruined. On any other occasion, he wore something with more color, although he did usually stay with darker colors.  
  
Unlike most Lieutenants, Ichigo always carried his badge with him, though he had modified the badge and strap so that it resembled his Substitute badge, and it hung from his waist. Both Zangetsu were also almost always on his person, and after extensive lessons in control, he was now able to seal Zangetsu in the form of a katana, which he still carried on his back with the old red strap, and a much smaller tanto blade, carried on his hip. Both blades had black hilts with red highlights, much like his old Tensa Zangetsu. The katana had a bright silver edge like most, but the tanto had a pure black blade. Both had dark red sheaths that they were carried in, complimenting the red highlights on the black hilt.  
  
Woken by Ichigo getting ready, Kasai got up from the blanket she had been sleeping on. She stretched, then relaxed and strode over to Ichigo, meowing. He reached down to pet her, then grabbed a small silver container that sat on a small table with several other identical containers. Popping the top off, he poured the contents into a bowl and set it on the floor for Kasai. The silver containers were actually modified ginto that he had gotten from Uryu. They absorbed ambient Reishi and compressed it into a semi-liquid state, which he could then use to feed Kasai, instead of letting her feed from his own spirit energy. In the high reishi environment of Soul Society they filled up extremely quickly, so he never had to worry about not having enough, even though Kasai needed to eat several times a day. He finished getting ready while Kasai ate, but was prevented from leaving by Zangetsu manifesting in front of him.  
  
“You should stay here and rest.” The darker half of Zangetsu spoke, worried about Ichigo. “It’s been months since you’ve slept properly, and it's only gotten worse, especially these past few weeks. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard, and you're about ready to collapse.” It was true, he rarely slept anymore and ate very little, a massive strain on both his body and reiatsu reserves. Yet he kept on going, doing daily patrols of Rukongai, overworking himself almost to exhaustion when helping with reconstruction, and still managing his duties as Lieutenant, running the Division when Aizen wasn't available to, placing and training new recruits, as well as keeping up with the rest of his responsibilities. But there was no way Ichigo would admit he was pushing himself too far.  
  
“I’ll be fine Kuro. I've dealt with it for this long, one more day won't make any difference.” Ichigo scoffed.  
  
**“Ya moron. ‘Course it makes a difference. I know ya can feel it too. Don't try ta play it off as nothin.”**  
  
“Fine. I'll be careful then. Happy now?” Any reply that might have been given went unheard, because he had already left his spirits behind him. He walked through the winding halls until he made it to the office. Not surprisingly, Aizen was already there, dividing the small stack of papers on his desk. When he entered, Aizen held out half the stack for him to take.  
  
“Good morning.” Aizen greeted him.  
  
“Mornin.” Ichigo returned.  
  
Taking the documents and flipping through them, there was only a few things that needed to be filled out. It was a big difference from how much paperwork there used to be. Before, it could easily have taken hours to get it all done, if both Captain and Lieutenant were working on it. Now, it could be done in under an hour if only one of them was working, even sooner if they both filled it out. It was amazing how much of the paperwork had been reports that needed to be sent to the Central 46 to be recorded. Since the Gotei no longer served the Central 46, there were very few things that needed to be reported, and it made the workload much lighter.  
  
Taking the papers back to his desk, he sat and pulled out a pen from the desk. Although most still used ink and brushes, Ichigo was one of the few that rarely used them, preferring the more familiar feel of the pen in his hand. Starting on his work, the information on the top few pages caught his attention. It was a final list of Captains and Lieutenants for the new divisions, as well as Shinigami newly added to the leadership of the Gotei. It looked something like this:  
  
  
  
_Due to the formation of new units within the Gotei, as well as the addition and loss of Captains and Lieutenants, the Gotei Positions of Authority have been revised as follows._  
  
_Genryūsai Yamamoto- Ascended to Soul King_  
  
_Chojiro Sasakibe- Deceased_  
  
_Momo Hinamori- Retired_  
  
_Sajin Komamura- Retired from Gotei. Enstated as messenger between SS and SK_  
  
**_Kido Corps_ ** _\- Cpt: Tessai Tsukabishi, Lt: Hachigen Ushoda_  
  
**_Onmitsukido_ ** _\- Cpt: Soi Fon, Lt: Marechiyo Omaeda_  
  
**_SRDI_ ** _\- Cpt: Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Lt: Nemuri Kurotsuchi_  
  
**_1st-_ ** _Cpt: Sosuke Aizen, Lt: Ichigo Kurosaki_  
  
**_2nd-_ ** _Cpt: Yoruichi Shihoin, Lt: Yushiro Shihoin_  
  
**_3rd-_ ** _Cpt: Rojuro Otoribashi, Lt: Izuru Kira_  
  
**_4th-_ ** _Cpt: Retsu Unohana, Lt: Isane Kotetsu_  
  
**_5th-_ ** _Cpt: Shinji Hirako, Lt: Lisa Yadomaru_  
  
**_6th-_ ** _Cpt: Byakuya Kuchiki, Lt: Renji Abarai_  
  
**_7th-_ ** _Cpt: Love Aikawa, Lt: Tetsuzaemon Iba_  
  
**_8th_ ** _\- Cpt: Shunsui Kyoraku, Lt: Nanao Ise_  
  
**_9th-_ ** _Cpt: Kensei Muguruma, Lt: Shuhei Hisagi/Mashiro Kuna_  
  
**_10th-_ ** _Cpt: Toshiro Hitsugaya, Lt: Rangiku Matsumoto_  
  
**_11th-_ ** _Cpt: Kenpachi Zaraki. Lt: Yachiru Kusajishi_  
  
**_12th-_ ** _Cpt: Gin Ichimaru, Lt: Hiyori Sarugaki_  
  
**_13th_ ** _\- Cpt: Jushiro Ukitake, Lt: Rukia Kuchiki_  
  
  
  
Overall, almost half of the Gotei had been completely changed, and it was still taking everyone a while to get used to the new Captains and Lieutenants. It was a good change though, and the Gotei seemed to be getting along better than it had before. The people leading the Squads were a much better fit now than they had been before, and it had shown in the way the Gotei was functioning. Ichigo was distracted from his work when Aizen started talking with him again.  
  
“How has your little projects with Rukongai been coming along? I’ve been hearing quite a bit about it, but have not gone to see it for myself yet.” Aizen stated.  
  
Ichigo held back a sigh as he replied. “It’s been going well enough. Progress has slowed down a lot after the initial forming of the projects, but it's going steady. There's been several moments when I wondered what the heck I was thinking, doing two such major things at once, but it seems to be working. The one for recording the coming and going of souls is already almost done, all it really did was change a procedure that we already had in place, then add an extra step.  
  
“As for rebuilding the outer districts, that's an entirely different story. One through about twenty are pretty good, but then we have twenty through forty, which are rough, but livable. After forty, the standard of living is pretty much crap, and it gets alot worse with every district up to eighty, where it's so bad people die every day and nobody thinks twice about it. And this is in each of the four directions, so that's a huge amount of area to cover. It would take several years to finish at the soonest, but a couple decades is a lot more likely. I know that's not a terribly long time for Shinigami, but it is for me. I'm still not quite used to the difference of time here.” Ichigo admitted.  
  
“You have done a very good job of setting up something of that scale on your own.” Aizen stated. “Even experienced people would be hesitant to do so, yet you simply went and did it. I was impressed when I found out.”  
  
Ichigo silent for a moment, unsure how to reply. Then he stood and dropped his now completed papers in the finished work bin.  
  
“You know, you could always stop by and check things out for yourself. I'm sure there's a lot of things that could be done better, but it's working for now. That's actually where I'm going now, if you wanted to come with me.” He offered.  
  
Aizen also stood and dropped his papers in the bin, considering. “I appreciate the offer, but I have other things to take care of this morning. I will try to stop by at some point though.”  
  
“Sure. See you later.” Ichigo turned and left, making his way out of the First’s barracks. Many of the Squad members greeted him on his way out, and he had to resist the urge to tell them they didn't have to be so formal with him. When he had first introduced himself to the Squad, he had told them, ‘just Ichigo is fine’. They, of course, still insisted on calling him sir or Lieutenant, and he couldn't tell them to drop the titles. Doing so would be demeaning to the rank of Lieutenant, and he couldn't afford to lose his position of authority. Politely returning the greetings, he left the division behind him as he walked the streets of Seireitei.  
  
The roads had been the first thing to be repaired so that it was easier to move supplies throughout the Seireitei. After that, it had been a matter of which places were most important and needed to be rebuilt the soonest. Currently the First and the Fourth were complete, and the barracks of the remaining divisions were at least semi-functional. With the present events, the Rukongai project had been pushed to the bottom of the priority list, despite his efforts to keep it going.  
  
Greeting Jidanbo at the gate, Ichigo left Seireitei and entered Rukongai. He was repeatedly stopped by people wanting to talk to him, making his walk last much longer than he would have liked. Eventually he ended up on the border of the fourth and fifth districts, and had to turn around because it was already later in the afternoon by the time he got there.  
  
A few hours into his patrol of the fourth district, someone began shouting in the street he was walking down. Turning to the source of the commotion, he saw a man running off with a basket, and panicked woman with a child clinging to her. He quickly pushed through the crowd to speak with them, noting the decent ammount of spiritual energy the child had.  
  
“What happened?” He asked.  
  
“That man just stole the food I bought for my child.” She replied frantically.  
  
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” Ichigo shunpo’d away in the direction the thief had gone, leaping up to the roof of a building to search from above.  
  
Running along the rooftops, he soon spotted the man with the basket walking down a different street. Ichigo dropped down to the ground to follow him when he entered a covered alleyway, but the action alerted the thief that he was being followed. He began running again, ducking into an even smaller passageway that connected to the alley. Ichigo immediately gave chase, going as fast as he could without tripping over things that had been dumped in the cramped space.They neared the end of the alley and the thief took a sudden turn, disappearing from Ichigo’s sight. He rounded the corner, only to abruptly stop to avoid running into people on a packed street.  
  
Looking around the much wider area, he spotted his target ducking into a line of trees on the other side of the street. Unable to push his way through the people, Ichigo jumped back up to the rooftops and lept across, never taking his eyes off the thief. He fell through the top of a tree, snagging his clothing on jagged branches and getting leaves stuck in his hair. No longer worried about tripping over anything or running into innocent bystanders, Ichigo started pushing reiatsu into his steps. Not enough to shunpo, he didn’t want to splat into a tree, but enough to make him significantly faster than his target.  
  
Within seconds he had caught up and grabbed the other man from behind causing him to drop the basket and whirl around, trying to land a hit on Ichigo. He easily blocked it by grabbing the man’s arm, then used that grip to pull him closer. Ducking down, Ichigo used his shoulder to lift the man and flip him over his shoulder as he rose, making the thief land hard on his back, knocking the breath out of him.  
  
While the thief slowly recovered, Ichigo gathered the food that had fallen from the basket. Thankfully most of it had been bundled together in a cloth, keeping it safe from the mud and dirt it had landed in. Contents of the basket recovered, he let it hang from his arm as he crossed his arms and turned to glare at the thief who had managed to get up, but knew better than to run away again.  
  
“Mind explaining why you stole all this from a woman and child?” Ichigo challenged.  
  
“What does it matter? It’s not like it’s actually that important. Who are you anyway?” The thief shot back. Ichigo bit back a fiery retort, trying to contain the anger that flared up within him.  
  
“To answer your last question, I am Ichigo Kurosaki, Lieutenant of the First Squad. I am in charge of keeping the peace in this district along with several others. If that is not enough to tell you why I chased you down, then how about this? The child of the woman you stole this food from has a significant amount of spiritual energy. That means that child needs to eat or they will die. That woman bought this food for her child to survive. By stealing, not only did the mother lose the food she paid money for, she might not be able to keep her child from starving now.” Ichigo didn’t allow his anger to bleed through, instead simply presenting plain facts in a controlled voice. He waited for the man to reply, but he seemed to be at a loss for words, appearing conflicted. Ichigo decided to give him a gentle push to make his decision.  
  
“Do you want to be responsible for the death of a child because you stole, instead of buying your own food?” The question was spoken softly, and the thief seemed to admit defeat.  
  
“No.” He sighed. “But how could I even return it? The village is huge, and we went a long way. I’d never be able to find them again.”  
  
“I can track them by the child’s spirit energy and lead you there so you can return this.” Ichigo suggested, holding up the basket.  
  
There was a pause where Ichigo thought he was going to refuse, but then he gave in and agreed. With a short nod of acknowledgment, Ichigo turned and left, making sure the man was following him. It was a much longer trip this time, walking through the crowded streets instead of running through alleys and across rooftops. Eventually they came to a large plaza where many smaller roads intersected, forming a crossroads in the heart of the village. Vendors with food, clothing, and others wares lined the sides of the streets, forming a sort of marketplace. Ichigo spotted the woman and child on the other side of the plaza, talking to one of the vendors selling fruits. He saw the vendor shake his head then send them away.  
  
“There they are. Go take this back to them.” Ichigo handed the basket back to the man and pointed to the woman walking away from the stand. The man pushed his way through the crowd, and Ichigo jumped up to a rooftop to watch the scene play out. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he had a clear view of the entire plaza. The man had come up behind the woman and placed a hand on her shoulder, grabbing her attention. She turned and froze, recognizing him right away.  
  
Then her expression turned angry, and she said something to him. He handed the basket over and bowed, probably asking forgiveness. When he rose back up, he was met with a slap to the face. She said something else, her anger changing to a softer expression. Seeing the situation resolving itself, Ichigo decided it was time for him to leave. He quickly escaped along the rooftop until it ended, then dropped down to the ground to continue at a more relaxed pace. The chase had exhausted what little energy he had, and now he was completely drained.  
  
Between the constant lack of sleep and the fact that Ichigo ate very little, it had taken a lot out of him. He tried to keep a decent pace, trying to get back to Seireitei so he could rest. While he was known and well liked by many in Rukon, there were also many who still hated Shinigami. Those people would take any opportunity they could to get rid of him, so taking a break there was out of the option.  
  
In his hurry to get back, he paid no mind to his exhaustion until he stumbled, black and blue sparks flooding his vision. Sharp pain shot through his head and left him breathless as he collapsed. He was suddenly caught as his knees hit the dirt, stopping him from falling all the way to the ground.  
  
**“We told you going out today was a bad idea.”** Shirogetsu’s scolding voice came from behind him as he was pulled back to his feet. Ichigo tried to retort, but was cut off as the ground suddenly moved beneath him. Ichigo instinctively held tight to Shirogetsu as he was lifted off the ground before he realized what happened. The sparks slowly cleared, restoring his sight.  
  
“Shiro! Let me down, I can walk just fine on my own!” Ichigo insisted. Shirogetsu glanced down at him, unfazed by the demand.  
  
**“No.”** Was the flat reply.  
  
“Shiro, please! You’re drawing attention.” Ichigo lowered his voice, trying not to make more of a scene then they already had.  
  
**“I’m not gonna leave ya here ta push yerself till ya pass out. Ya need ta eat and rest fer a bit before pushing yerself anymore.”** Shirogetsu retorted. However, he did shunpo away, seeming to simply vanish to those watching. They reappeared several moments later on the other side of the district closest to Seireitei. Shirogetsu finally set Ichigo down, but kept a steadying hand on him. Ichigo tried to shrug him off, and Shirogetsu reluctantly ended his manifestation. Now on his own again, Ichigo once again started walking towards Seireitei. He was on the edge of the fourth district crossing into the third, walking through yet another marketplace of sorts.  
  
He was entirely unaware that he had caught someone’s attention, and they were now following him. They quickly caught up, sliding up behind him, and in a deceptively kind voice saying, “What a surprise to find you here, Ichigo.”  
  
He jumped, immediately recognizing the voice. Stopping, he turned to face the speaker. “Kukaku. Nice to see you.”  
  
“Yes, nice to see you too. She smiled at him, but he had a feeling it wouldn't last long. He was proven right moments later.  
  
“Why haven't you visited, you baka!” Kukaku smacked the back of his head hard enough to make him trip, then grabbed him before he could fall, turning him to look at her. “I know Isshin told you you’re related to the Shiba’s, you should have stopped by sooner!” She scolded him.  
  
“You're right. I should have visited sooner.” Ichigo quickly agreed. Satisfied, Kukaku let go of him.  
  
“Come on, let's go then. I have something to show you.” Kukaku stated. She led him away from the village in a direction that he didn't recognize.  
  
“Where are we going? Did you move again?” Ichigo asked.  
  
“No. Just follow me, you’ll see soon enough.” She replied. They walked on in silence after that, leaving the town far behind, and coming up to a small wooded area. Finding an overgrown dirt road, they followed it until they saw a Manor appear through the trees. It had clearly fallen into ruin from abandonment, the surrounding vegetation taking over the building.  
  
“What is this place?” Ichigo asked. Kukaku was silent for awhile, then strangely quiet when she finally answered.  
  
“This is what’s left of the Shiba Clan Manor. After Isshin left, our Clan was destroyed and this place was left to fall into ruin, because we had lost any hope of ever reviving. Ganju and I were the only ones who survived the attack, and we thought we were the last of the Shiba. When you first showed up in Soul Society, we had no idea you were related to us. It wasn't until later when Isshin came to find us after the Winter War that we knew we weren't the last ones. He told us about you and your sisters, and it gave us hope that the Shiba Clan was not going to be left to die out.  
  
“Of course, we couldn't bring your family in because your sisters are human and need Isshin with them. But you, you are in a completely different situation where you can't return to the World of the Living and live with your family. Aside from your friends, you are all alone here in Soul Society. They are there to support you of course, but they are nakama, not family. So, I want to ask you something important.” She stopped walking and turned to make Ichigo look at her, holding their gazes steady when she spoke next.  
  
“What is ‘heart’? What does that word mean to you?”  
  
Ichigo was surprised at the question, but Kukaku was completely serious.  
  
He thought for several minutes before giving his answer. “Heart… that's a tough one to answer. But I suppose I would say it's the bonds that someone has with their family and nakama, those close to them. ‘Heart’ is building bonds and memories to share with others, so that no matter what, you're never really alone.”  
  
Kukaku gave a small smile. That was a very Shiba like answer that he just gave, and he probably didn't have any idea about it.  
  
“Because you have heart, it can be hard being away from the ones you love. You are family, no matter how distantly related you are or where you came from. It is not good to be all alone, it hurts the heart that is your own. Will you join the Shiba Clan as we rebuild and become a family again? You are already Shiba by blood, will you become Shiba in name as well?”  
  
Once again, Ichigo was unprepared for the question, but this time he answered much easier.  
  
“I would love to. You are my family, after all.” His reply was soft, gentle even. She studied him for a moment, then lightly pulled him towards the Manor.  
  
“Come with me. There's something else you need to see.” Inside the house, they picked there way through crumbling hallways and overgrown vegetation. She led him to a study full of records, brushing the dust and other natural elements of the spines of the books before finding the one she wanted. Pulling it off the shelf, Ichigo took it from her and set it on the desk where sunlight shone on it through the broken window, revealing the cover.  
  
“Shiba Clan Family Records?”  
  
“Yes. You'll see what I'm doing in a moment.” Sitting at the desk, Kukaku quickly flipped through the pages until she found a new one. Taking several ink bottles from a drawer, she eventually found one that still had ink in it. She started filling out a new record page headed “Shiba Ichigo”. When she finished, there were still many blank spaces, but she assured him they would be filled in over time. Putting a bookmark in the pages, she closed the book and stood.  
  
“Bring this with us. Ganju will be overjoyed to see this old book.” Kukaku said. Ichigo picked up the heavy book and they left the worn down building behind, heading to Kukaku’s house where they found Ganju waiting outside. He perked up when he saw Kukaku coming, and stood to greet her.  
  
“Hey Sis! Where ya been? You're back a lot later then usual.” Then he noticed Ichigo behind her, and the fact that he was carrying a rather large book. Ganju gave her a look, silently asking her if he was part of the Clan now. She gave a slight nod, then pushed Ichigo in front of her.  
  
“Show that to Ganju.” She instructed. Ichigo complied, holding the book out to Ganju, whose eyes widened when he recognised it.  
  
“You… she took you to go get that?” Ganju asked.  
  
“Yeah. And you might want to see this.” Holding the book with one hand, he opened it to the page that had been bookmarked.  
  
“Shiba Ichigo… she really asked you to join?” He sounded mildly shocked. When Ichigo closed the book, Ganju threw an arm around Ichigo’s shoulders, pulling him down to ruffle his hair.  
  
“Well then, welcome to the family Cousin!” He shouted cheerfully, ignoring Ichigo’s demands to let go of him.  
  
As annoying as Ichigo found Ganju, it was actually a lot like the playful fights that he had with Isshin on a daily basis. And that was the reason Ganju only found himself elbowed in the gut instead of pounded into the ground. Then Kukaku was on them, yelling at them both to knock it off. Yes, they had a rather unusual form of showing affection, but in the end, they all understood what it meant, even if no one else did.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Ichigo didn't make it back to Seireitei that night, having instead spent the night with Kukaku and Ganju, talking and sharing stories. They talked about the Ryoka invasion, his trip to Hueco Mundo, the fight against Aizen for Karakura, the seventeen months that Ichigo had lost his powers, and so much more. Kukaku and Ganju told stories from when they had been part of a larger clan, still a Noble family in Seireitei, and the excitement of having such a large family. There were so many stories to be told, that they talked until the early hours of the morning. When the sun came up Kukaku sent Ganju to bed, and took Ichigo to a guest room that he had used before.  
  
“Getting back to Seireitei can wait, you should get some rest first. You can stay here for now.” Kukaku said.  
  
“Thanks, but I'll be okay. It's not that bad getting back.” Ichigo replied.  
  
“You really should sleep first. It’s a long walk, and we were all up all night.” Kukaku insisted. She sounded genuinely concerned, and Ichigo couldn't bring himself to deny her offer again.  
  
“Alright, thanks.” He stepped in the room and gently shut the door, then waited for Kukaku’s footsteps to fade away. As soon as he was sure he was alone, he leaned back into the wall and slowly slid to the floor with his hands over his face.  
  
“I really didn’t want to sleep here.” Ichigo’s voice was strained, clearly displaying his distress. “At least my room at the barracks had a privacy barrier set up, this place doesn’t have anything.”  
  
He reluctantly stood again, not bothering to turn the light out, and lay on the bed facing the wall. Rest was not his goal however. Instead, he let his thoughts wander, thinking about anything to avoid the pull of exhaustion.  
  
When Ichigo lay down, Kurogetsu could feel him trying to keep himself awake. Kuro gave a stressed sigh, before resigning himself to what he was about to do. He began gently pulling at Ichigo’s conscious, guiding the teen to sleep. Shiro took notice, and angrily questioned his other half.  
  
**“What are you doing? It's clear he doesn't want to sleep here cause of the nightmares! Why are you doing this?”**  
  
“He cannot always depend on us. It is the same as him relying on himself, since we are made from him after all. He needs to learn to trust his new family, but that cannot happen if he will not open up to them. For his own sake, I must do it, even if he hates me for it. I will take full responsibility for the fallout, so do not stop me.” Kuro’s voice was firm and did not invite any argument. Shiro hesitated, then held back whatever he had been about to say. The sky darkened, signaling that Ichigo had fallen asleep. There was nothing to do now but wait.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Kukaku jolted awake at the feeling of agitated energy spreading through the house. She immediately recognized it as Ichigo’s and jumped out of bed, heading to his room. Ganju met her in the hallway, and walked behind her, letting her take the lead. Kukaku eased the door open, expecting but still slightly shocked by what they found. Ichigo was surrounded by black energy swirling around him, and he was jerking as he slept, clearly having a nightmare.  
  
“Ichigo! Hey Ichigo, wake up!” Ganju pushed past the energy and gave him a hard shove, startling him awake. The condensed energy dispersed in a small but violent burst, and the lingering remains quickly faded. Ichigo leapt up, lashing out at the nearest target, eyes startlingly wide and unfocused. Ganju quickly stepped back, narrowly avoiding the attack, at the same time Kukaku reached out and grabbed Ichigo’s wrist. Ichigo winced as a harsh jolt lanced through his head, a mental smack from his Zanpakuto. It vanished not a moment later, but it had been enough to make Ichigo stop and regain control, allowing his mind to reevaluate the situation.  
  
Everything snapped into focus, and whatever visions he had been seeing faded away, though the adrenaline rush was still working full force. Ichigo appeared slightly dazed and was breathing hard, as well as covered in sweat despite the coolness of the room, but was no longer trying to fight anyone. He tried to pull away from Kukaku, but her grip was unrelenting, and she held on to him.  
  
“What was that, Ichigo?” Kukaku’s usually harsh tone had taken on a much softer note filled with concern. Ichigo regained his composure enough to speak, answering after a long hesitation, but seeming to be barely keeping it together.  
  
“I've been having nightmares, but they don't stop when I wake up. It keeps going, and I live in it until I can break myself out. Sometimes I can, but more recently Zangetsu, my Zanpakuto, has been needing to snap me out of it.” Ichigo replied, looking at the floor to avoid eye contact.  
  
“How long has it been happening? Havn’t you told anyone?” Ganju asked.  
  
“I’ve had nightmares for a long time, but they’ve gotten worse. Especially the past few months, ever since the Quincy War ended. I have a privacy barrier set up at the barracks so no one else knew about it. I was the only one, but now you guys know too.”  
  
Kukaku released his wrist, only to gently grab his shoulder and push him back to sit on the edge of the bed. “Ichigo. You don't have to keep these things to yourself. It doesn't do you any good, and it will ultimately get worse if you try to hide it. Maybe before you might have hid things from people like your sisters so they wouldn't worry, but there's no need for that here. There's no one you need to shelter from these kinds of problems, so don't. Me, Ganju, your friends, we all want to help you if we can. We don't want you carrying these things all by yourself. It's okay to let the walls down and share your troubles, so that we can help you through them.” Her and Ganju sat on either side of him, Ganju wrapping his arm around his shoulders, and Kukaku slowly rubbing his back.  
  
“I know, it's just been so long… I'm so used to dealing with this myself…” Ichigo trailed off, struggling to speak past the lump in his throat.  
  
“Shh. You don't have to explain yourself.” Kukaku pulled him into a hug, ignoring his half-hearted protest. After a moment, he gave in and returned the gesture, holding onto her tightly as the tension in his shoulders began to relax.  
  
“Thank you.” They barely heard him speak, his voice muffled in Kukaku’s shirt.  
  
“ You idiot. There's no reason to thank me.” Kukaku gently scolded. Ichigo let go and pulled away, flushing red with embarrassment.  
  
“We’re family. We take care of each other, no matter what. Isn’t your family like that?” Ganji asked.  
  
“It’s complicated. Kaa-san died when me and my sisters were little. I was pretty close to her, but I was never really close to Tou-san, and I’m used to taking care of my sisters almost like a parent. So I’m not used to being on the receiving end of being comforted.” Ichigo admitted.  
  
“You’re a child that’s had to grow up too fast.” Kukaku stated.  
  
“I’m not-” Ichigo’s denial was cut off by Kukaku continuing to speak.  
  
“You lost your mother when you were young. You weren’t very close to Isshin. You even took care of your sisters as a parent would instead of a sibling. You had to take on a lot of responsibility at such a young age, and didn’t have the usual carefree childhood most children have. When you first came to Soul Society, you were still only fifteen.  
  
“With no previous experience, you fought against some of the strongest we have, and almost died several times. After that, you visited the realm of Hollows, and were dragged into Soul Society’s war against Aizen and his army. You also went through yet another war after that with the Quincy. You’re only seventeen, and in human years nonetheless. You can’t tell me you’ve gone through all that and there’s no trauma or mental scarring.” Kukaku was gentle, but still scolding him, trying to get her point across.  
  
“Something like that can’t be overcome on your own. It will only get better with time and support from those close to you. It’s okay to rely on others.”  
  
Ichigo only nodded in understanding before Kukaku once again pulled him close to embrace him. This time he didn’t pull away.  



	19. Regain What Was Lost

Ichigo had found a secluded spot in the woods, far away from anyone that could possibly sense his turbulent reiatsu. It was a small tree lined clearing with stones littering the ground and a small river flowing nearby. Leaning back against a tree, he forcibly manifested both halves of Zangetsu. They stood in front of him, unfazed by the hard glare fixed on them.  
  
“There was no reason to put me in that situation back there. You knew I didn't want to sleep, but both of you completely ignored that fact.” If the glare hadn’t conveyed his anger, his tone most certainly did. Shirogetsu remained silent, letting his other half do the talking.  
  
“First, that was entirely my doing. Second, I had good reason for doing so. You know why I did it, I should not have to explain myself.” Kurogetsu defended.  
  
Ichigo turned back to the lighter half. “Even if you didn’t help him, you didn’t stop him either. So don’t think you’re not responsible for any of this.” Shirogetsu opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted by Ichigo speaking again.  
  
“Of course I know why you did it, I don’t want an explanation. I’ve been relying on you and Shiro too much; it’s the same as relying on myself, since you’re part of my soul. You want my friends and new family to support me. You should have just tried talking to me instead.”  
  
“You would not have listened. Even if you had, they would not have been able to know the true extent of the damage without seeing it for themselves.” Kurogetsu replied.  
  
“Even so, at least it would have been my decision.” There was a deafening silence, then the air got significantly heavier with thick reiatsu. “Zangetsu. Both of you, right now. Fight me.” Ichigo ordered.  
  
**“Not that I have a problem with it, but why?”** Shirogetsu asked.  
  
“Just do it.” That was the only warning they received before he unsheathed his blades and flew towards them, striking Kurogetsu first. Kuro blocked the large blade with his own smaller one, deflecting it to the side. Giving Kuro a moment to recover, Ichigo followed the blade’s momentum and attacked Shirogetsu next. Shirogetsu ducked under the strike, bringing his own blade up, but was stopped by the smaller blade blocking his path.  
  
“Fight me seriously. Don’t hold anything back.” Ichigo demanded.  
  
**“Fine, if that’s what you want. Kuro! Let’s go!”** Shirogetsu reached out to his other half and the two of them dissolved, reforming as one being. Zangetsu now wielded both blades, just like Ichigo. Without a moment's hesitation, Ichigo raised his own blades to release them. Longer blade held horizontally in front of him, he brought the smaller one up to rest against it. Then, in one quick motion, he dragged it down the length of the longer blade in a spray of sparks.  
  
“Clear the sky, Zangetsu!” The blades grew to their full size at the same time Ichigo himself changed. Black marks ran down his face like dripping ink, the eye it crossed changing to a Hollow’s gold and black, while the iris of the other eye faded to pale blue. A small part of the released energy fused to his skull forming a long, sharp horn. The excess reiatsu cleared away in a quick burst of energy and Ichigo relaxed at the familiar feel of his power settling into place. Then suddenly he simply vanished, materializing in front of Zangetsu to clash his weapon against his spirit’s Zanpakuto. Zangetsu lifted a finger from the hilt of his sword, pointing at Ichigo.  
  
**“Hado 4: Byakurai.”** Ichigo broke the sword block to avoid the lightning, channeling his own kido.  
  
“Hado 11: Tsuzuri Raiden.” Electricity sparked from his hands and flowed into his blades, making them dangerous for Zangetsu to touch. Zangetsu lept forward, Ichigo to his left, and spun in midair to land a kick to Ichigo’s side, throwing him across the clearing. Ichigo flipped himself to land in a crouching position, springing from the ground up into the air. Blades raised above him, he descended from the sky, intending to smash Zangetsu into the ground when he tried to block. Zangetsu, however, slashed at the ground, creating a large cloud of dust. Zangetsu burst out of the dust, slashing at Ichigo as he flew by, scoring a deep hit that would have taken out any lesser Shinigami.  
  
“Bakudo 9: Horin.” Golden tendrils flew from Ichigo’s hands, following Zangetsu who attempted to slash them apart. Instead of breaking like he had hoped, they merely wound around the blades. With a sharp jerk on the restraint from Ichigo, Zangetsu was pulled forward and the blades touched, the golden ropes binding them together. Unable to fight with bound swords, Zangetsu simply discarded the blades. Moving much faster without the extra weight he shundo’d above Ichigo, a charging Cero held in his open palms. In the time it took Ichigo to look up, the Cero had charged and Zangetsu prepared to release it. The red blast was met by a Getsuga Juujishou, which scattered it to greatly expand the edges of the clearing.  
  
**“Hado 33: Sokatsui!”** This time Ichigo was defenseless, swords at his sides from having just finished their swing. The kido hit him head on and exploded, causing him to sustain several burns. Ichigo scowled, not at all pleased with the situation. He wanted to take out his frustration on his Zanpakuto, not be left in a stalemate. Deciding it was time to take things to the next level, Ichigo brought his blades up in front of him once more, holding them side by side.  
  
“Ban-kai!” The two blades merged into one, forming the multi-color blade of his final release. The release partially healed the worst of his injuries, allowing him to keep going. Zangetsu retrieved his blades, the kido binding them having vanished. Ichigo started fighting again, even faster and harder than before.  
  
Restarting the fight with a small but blindingly fast Getsuga, Ichigo shundo’d behind Zangetsu, bringing the blade up in a vicious arc. Zangetsu was caught between the energy and the sword, receiving a burn to his back as he turned to stop the blade. In an instant, Zangetsu threw his wielder away and released his own Ban-kai. The combined pressure in the air grew to such a degree that the stones littering the ground had been reduced to gravel, and several trees had exploded into splinters.  
  
**“No more holding back, huh? If that’s how you want it, fine. I can play that way.”** Zangetsu stated.  
  
“I wanted you to go all out from the beginning.” Ichigo spat. “Hado 58: Tenran.” Zangetsu braced himself against the wind, but was still pushed back quite a ways before regaining his footing. The vortex was destroyed by a cero piercing through the center, scattering the winds.  
  
Ichigo slowly began drawing on his Hollow powers more and more, making his fighting style more wild and violent. Pushing himself to fight faster and harder, Ichigo abandoned Kido altogether to focus his attacks into his sword and footwork. Their swords clashed once more, Ichigo pouring far more raw power into his strikes. Zangetsu wavered under the pressure then twisted his blade to deflect the opposing sword. Ichigo’s sword crashed into the ground, but he already had a cero charged on the tip of his horn to blast Zangetsu away.  
  
The two separated, but Ichigo didn’t press the attack right away. Instead, he seemed to zone out for a moment as his reiatsu turned darker and rougher. Coming to, his eyes were slightly unfocused even as he started moving again, as if he was only partially in control. Zangetsu immediately noticed and tried to stop the fight.  
  
**“That’s enough. We’re done fighting for now!”** He tried to back off, but Ichigo still came after him, unheading of Zangetsu’s request. Zangetsu spun as he blocked, letting the opposing blade glance off his own as he brought his foot up and kicked Ichigo away.  
  
**“Ichigo, stop! I’m not going to fight you like this!”** Once again Ichigo ignored him, and Zangetsu realized with a start what had happened. Ichigo had pulled too much from his Hollow side, and was slowly letting his instincts take over. To make matters worse, Zangetsu now felt Rukia’s spiritual energy coming closer, their fight having attracted unwanted attention.  
  
**_‘Of all the times for her to show up, this is probably the worst! Ichigo could attack anyone right now, and she could get badly hurt before I stop him!’_ **  
  
Fighting with a renewed sense of urgency Zangetsu pushed himself even harder, trying to take Ichigo out without hurting him too bad. But Ichigo was still giving it his all too, and neither was making any headway against the other. Getting desperate, Zangetsu decided to try something else. Moving in close before Ichigo could react, Zangetsu reached forward with his free hand. Ichigo reacted to the sudden movement before he realized what happened, bringing his blade up to stop the punch. Zangetsu took that brief opening to bring his own blade forward, cutting deep into Ichigo’s left arm. It dropped uselessly to his side, blood pouring from the gaping wound.  
  
**“This is your last chance to stop before I do the same to the other arm.”** Zangetsu warned. Ichigo stared at him for a moment, not really listening. Then his expression twisted to a snarl as he lifted his sword once more. Black energy quickly flooded the blade until it could hold no more, then it simply started gathering around him instead. Zangetsu couldn’t get close to attack again, lest he be burned by the energy surrounding Ichigo. Ichigo leapt up in the air, looking down at Zangetsu, and released the energy that had built up.  
  
“Getsuga... Tenshou.” Ichigo had to brace himself as the black Getsuga hit the ground and radiated outwards in a fast expanding black dome. Zangetsu could do nothing to block or dodge, and was hit head on with the blast. Ichigo, however, had not escaped unscathed either. He had taken a large amount of backlash from the explosion and was left injured as well. The energy and dust cleared, revealing the state of the two fighters.  
  
Zangetsu was slowly starting to fade, no longer having the power to hold his manifestation. Right at that moment though, Rukia made it to the clearing, and immediately became the new target for the Hollowfied Ichigo.  
  
**“Rukia! Get out of here!”** Zangetsu shouted. But the warning was useless now, she had already drawn her sword to defend herself. Their swords clashed, Rukia straining against the larger blade.  
  
**“Ichigo’s been overwhelmed by his Hollow side, he’ll attack anyone right now! Including you!”** Zangetsu took advantage of Ichigo’s momentary distraction, coming up behind him to grab his collar and throw him to the ground. As Ichigo stood, Zangetsu came down from above, smashing the hilt of his blade into Ichigo’s forehead, sending him crashing back into the dirt.  
  
Ichigo fell, and didn’t get back up. The blow hadn't knocked Ichigo out, but it had left a nasty head wound, and he had hit the back of his head hard enough to knock him senseless. Zangetsu vanished completely, leaving Rukia to take care of his wielder.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

By the time both Ichigo and Zangetsu had released their powers, it could be felt all the way from the third district to the edges of Seireitei. Kasai was with Rukia, not having followed Ichigo outside Seireitei that morning. The two of them had been walking from Squad Thirteen to go get lunch when it happened; the instant they felt the faint reiatsu of Ichigo wash over them, they knew something was horribly wrong. While Ichigo’s power was normally half Hollow half Quincy, there was very little of the Quincy energy present; it was almost entirely Hollow, and very, very angry. Quickly determining the direction the energy was coming from, Rukia scooped up the cat and took off.  
  
When they passed through the gate and left Seireitei behind them, Kasai began struggling in Rukia’s arms until she was forced to drop the cat. Rukia watched in fascination as Kasai grew to several times her size, large enough that two or three people could easily ride her. The large lion-like cat crouched down, seemingly asking Rukia to do just that. Reaching up to take a fistful of fur, Rukia pulled herself up until she sat in the center of Kasai’s back. Kasai began running, forcing Rukia to hold on tighter and lower herself to avoid being thrown off.  
  
The pace was slower than shunpo, but Rukia would not have been able to keep it up the whole way, so riding the Hollow cat was more efficient for both of them. They rode on for almost a half hour before the pressure increased once again, probably entering Ban-kai. A short time later they burst into a clearing that had been obviously expanded by some conflict, seeing two fighters standing in the air facing each other. Ichigo immediately turned to her, but he had been watching the fight with a sort of detached fascination, letting his Hollow instincts take control.  
  
Ichigo had so much negative emotion built up that it had been far too easy to lose himself in a brief lapse of control. He had vaguely sensed Rukia coming closer, and then she was suddenly in front of him, his blade swinging towards her. He immediately tried to take control again, but he had already given too much of himself over. The next thing he knew, he had been grabbed from behind and thrown, then received a harsh blow to the head, effectively ending the fight. Ichigo was suddenly back in control, but his body had taken too much damage to be useful right now.  
  
Rukia landed lightly in front of him, rage clearly evident on her face. He forced himself to sit up, but his head throbbed violently, making him nauseous. The sensation passed after several moments, and he was finally able to look up at Rukia, who stood above him with a frown and her arms crossed. Realizing his situation, he quickly reverted to Shi-Kai, his swords returning to their sheathes.  
  
“Rukia? You a’right?” His attempted question came out slurred, and Rukia only frowned further,  
  
“You… Of course I'm not alright! How can I be alright when you let yourself get like this!?” Rukia shouted. Ichigo cringed, the loud sound making his head hurt worse.  
  
“S’rry.” Rukia’s expression softened slightly, and she knelt next to him to inspect the damage.  
  
“I assume it was a personal issue between you and Zangetsu, so I won’t ask what happened. But there’s no reason for things to have gotten so bad that you’re lying here in such a state.” Rukia scolded. “Let’s get you taken care of and get you to Unohana to patch you up.”  
  
“No!” It was the first word he had said clearly since she had been talking to him, and he had said it with such intensity that she paused for a moment, unsure what to do.  
  
“Why? You can’t just leave wounds like these be. They’ll only get worse.”  
  
“I’ll be fine. I can take care of these myself.” Ichigo insisted.  
  
“Hn.” She didn't reply right away, too busy examining his injuries. Lightly touching his arm she asked, “Is this the worst one? Besides having hit your head?”  
  
“Yeah.” He answered, resigning himself to her interrogation.  
  
“It looks pretty nasty. Can you still use your arm?” At her prompting he tried to do just that, without much luck.  
  
“Not very well, but yeah.”  
  
“Fool. Even if you don't want Unohana to know, they still need better treatment then first-aid. My Kaido isn’t so good that I can heal these sorts of wounds.” Rukia scolded.  
  
“According to Zangetsu, I have something called advanced healing. It can completely heal anything that doesn't immediately kill me, given enough time. Unlike instant regeneration, which heals anything instantly, except for vital areas.” Ichigo explained.  
  
“...Fine. I suppose I won’t make you see Unohana right away, but we still need to do something about them now.” She stood and walked away, just outside the edge of the treeline where the river had remained mostly untouched. Tearing off a sleeve to make rags, several strips and one larger piece, she tucked the strips away and soaked the largest piece in the clear water. Returning to Ichigo with the dripping cloth, she had him hold up his sleeve so she could clearly see the wound.  
  
“Ow!” She squeezed the water from the rag into the jagged gash on his arm, washing it out. Pulling out the long strips of cloth, she carefully pressed the edges of the wound together the best she could and wrapped it up. Retrieving the rag she had wrung out, she started to wash the blood and dirt from his face.  
  
“Hey, I'm not a kid! I can wash my face myself!” Ichigo protested.  
  
“Yep. You could, but you’ll just have to deal with this for now.” Rukia replied. There was a moment of silence while she worked, then she spoke again.  
  
“You know, sometimes I think you would have been better suited for the Eleventh, with how much you seem to like picking fights.” Rukia commented.  
  
“What? I do not!” Ichigo protested.  
  
“Sure you do. Whether it’s a street brawl, a training spar, or even getting into an actual fight.” Ichigo was silent for a moment, considering this.  
  
“I guess I do tend to pick quite a few fights. They’re usually not serious though.”  
  
“Well, let’s get you back.” Rukia pulled him to his feet as Kasai came over. With a little help from Rukia, Ichigo was able to climb onto Kasai’s back. Rukia sat behind him and held on when Kasai stood and started towards home. It was a peaceful ride; neither spoke much as they traveled at a comfortable pace. Eventually they made it back to the First District outside Seireitei. Before they entered the village to pass through the gate, Ichigo and Rukia climbed off Kasai and had her shrink back to house cat size. She curled around his neck and rested on his shoulders, tired from the long walk. Entering Seireitei, Rukia spoke once again.  
  
“Are you sure you don’t want to see Unohana? Even just to get it checked out and make sure it’ll heal?” She asked.  
  
“I’m sure. It’ll heal fine on it’s own.”  
  
“Let’s just get you back to your barracks then.”  
  
“Alright.” Normally Ichigo would have protested, insisting he was fine, but he felt far to drained to even consider arguing with her. They made it to the First’s barracks Rukia occasionally needing to nudge him along. Entering his room, he collapsed dramatically on his bed, wincing when the sudden movement jolted his injuries.  
  
“Be careful!” Rukia scolded. “Stay here, I'll be back.” She left him to rest, heading towards the first aid station of the barracks. The nurse looked up the moment she walked in.  
  
“Hello, Lieutenant Kuchiki. What can I do for you?”  
  
“I’ve just returned your Lieutenant to his room. He is not feeling well, so I came to get a few things for him while he rests.”  
  
“Of course. What do you need?” So Rukia explained the condition Ichigo was in in order to get what she needed. The nurse insisted on coming to treat him herself, but Rukia convinced her they would be okay. Loaded down with supplies, she returned to Ichigo to find him dozing off. Dropping everything on the nightstand, she gently roused him from his nap. She made him get up and sit on the edge of the bed so she could sit next to him and work. Taking off the remains of the shredded shirt, she quickly unwrapped the filthy rags. They were both shocked to see fine, white threads trying to stitch the wound back together.  
  
“What is that?” Rukia asked.  
  
“I think that’s the same stuff used for instant regeneration. It must be the injury trying to heal itself.” Ichigo responded.  
  
“Hmm. In either case, we still need to do something about this. Let me take care of it.” Now properly equipped, Rukia carefully cleaned the wound around the threads, and rewrapped it with clean bandages. She helped him put on a new shirt and tied the front for him. She then handed him a couple of small pills.  
  
“Painkillers.” She informed him. “Even if it doesn’t hurt much right now, you’ll definitely be feeling it later.” He took the medicine then grabbed a cup that had been left on the nightstand.  
  
“Alright, you should be good. Now just rest for a bit.” Rukia stood to leave, but Ichigo suddenly reached for her.  
  
“Wait!” The frantic exclamation was spoken in a moment of panic, and he didn’t seem to realize he had said anything until several seconds later. “Ah…”  
  
“Ichigo?” Rukia looked at him in concern, and he let down one of the walls he had built to keep people out.  
  
“Please don’t leave. Stay with me.” He sounded almost pleading, and she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.  
  
“Of course I’ll stay.” She sat on the bed again, closer than before and made him lay back down. He relaxed a bit, but startled when Rukia touched his hair, feeling the softness.  
  
“Wha-?”  
  
“Shh. Just be quiet and enjoy it.” Rukia lightly scolded. Ichigo finally lay back and closed his eyes to rest. She slowly ran a hand through his hair, gently working out the knots one by one. When she was satisfied that she had gotten them all, she simply began massaging his head. Soon enough he had fallen asleep, though it was different this time. Instead of a restless sleep full of nightmares, it was a quiet rest. It wasn’t meant to last though. Only a short while later the dreams began.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

At first there was nothing, just a calming darkness. Then it started to change, fading to a soft white. Images slowly came into focus, revealing bare trees covered in snow. Beyond the trees were numerous Torii gates, leading up a cobblestone path. The larger stones peaked through the snow, creating a series of uncovered stepping stones. With nowhere to go but forward, he followed the stone path through the trees. The ground gradually sloped upwards, climbing a small hill.  
  
At the top there was a small courtyard surrounded by flowering trees. In the center was a figure wrapped in shadows with its back to him. It turned, and for just a moment he saw the shadows part, but it was enough. He had seen himself, and when their eyes met, he was flooded with visions. All the times he had been beaten down to the point that he couldn’t fight anymore.  
  
Rukia being taken back to Soul Society, because he hadn’t stopped them. Watching as Aizen captured her and pulled the Hogyoku from her soul while he lay helpless. Being so easily defeated by the Arrancar, only to be saved by Urahara and Yoruichi. Fighting Ulquiorra even after feeling Rukia and Chad’s energy disappear, only to let them down and not save either of them afterwards. Failing to take Aizen down in the fake Karakura when everyone was counting on him. Seventeen months of being useless while his friends took over his Shinigami duties. Not being able to prevent the utter annihilation of Soul Society when the Quincy attacked.  
  
“No.” Ichigo tried to block the visions, make them go away. Surprisingly they did, though the other him never broke eye contact.  
  
“Why? Why should I not show you these things? They are true; you cannot deny them.” It said. Ichigo was silent for a moment, allowing the other to keep speaking. “You are not the hero everyone makes you out to be. You are-”  
  
He was cut off by Ichigo. “You’re right. I can't deny any of that, I'm not a hero.” The thing gave a nasty grin, thinking it had won.  
  
“But…” Ichigo continued, confusing the thing as his eyes hardened. “I will not allow those things to consume or define me. I have overcome all of those things.” The things face twisted to a sneer when it realized it had lost, but it never got the chance to keep talking.  
  
“Leave.” Ichigo demanded. “You have no reason to be here. Don't you dare come back, or I'll do more than just beat you at your game.” The shadows ripped apart, leaving a faint after image behind.  
  
“You are all alone. How could you ever defeat me by yourself? I'll be back before you know it.” The things voice whispered through the air, carrying on the breeze.  
  
“You're wrong. I may have been alone before, but not anymore. I may have to fight you again, but you'll never win.” The air cleared, leaving Ichigo alone until he felt another presence moments later.  
  
“Zangetsu.” He greeted his Zanpakuto, who was still in their combined form.  
  
**“Good ta know ya still got that determination goin’ for ya. I knew ya wouldn't let that thing beat ya so easily.”** Zangetsu commented.  
  
“There’s no way that thing could have beaten me.” Ichigo scoffed. Zangetsu simply smiled at this.  
  
**“In all honesty though.”** His expression became serious. **“How are you actually doing? I know it’s been hard for you since the end of the war, but I don't know how well you personally are doing. If that fight we had is anything to go by, I assume you’re not taking it well.”**  
  
Ichigo looked at the ground, thinking about his reply. “It has been hard.” He admitted. “I worry about things constantly. What if Yhwach had been able to control my blood? I would have destroyed everything. What if we hadn't trained with the Royal Guard? Rukia wouldn't have Ban-kai yet, and the rest of us wouldn't have been strong enough. What if your blade hadn't been reforged? I wouldn't have Ban-kai either, and would have been useless. What if I was wrong about Aizen? He could have easily taken advantage of everything that happened.  
  
“There's so many ‘what ifs’, and some of them I can't just leave in the past. I was controlled once, it could happen again. I have Ban-kai, but I barely know how to use it. Sure I can fight with it, but I've only used Getsuga and Cero, both of which are meant to be Shi-kai techniques. There's still so much I don't know about you, Zangetsu.”  
  
**“Hmm...”** While it was true that some things should be left behind, others did pose a potential risk. Ichigo had seen this, and worried about it constantly. Zangetsu couldn't believe he hadn't noticed.  
  
**“I’ll teach you more about our powers. It's going to have ta be a more relaxed lesson though. An intense training session won't do you any good right now. As for the issue of being controlled, you have the blood of four different races. There will always be some part of you that can break free. One of the advantages of being a mixed breed mutt.”** Zangetsu teased.  
  
Ichigo sputtered for a moment, put off by the last comment. “Wha- You- I'm not a mutt!!” He finally managed. Zangetsu simply laughed, flustering him even more. Ichigo settled for glaring at the Zanpakuto, though there was no real venom behind it. If anything, he seemed to be hiding his amusement.  
  
**“Seriously though, I will teach you more. But you need to let go of everything else. It's not going to do anything but hold you back.”**  
  
Ichigo sighed. “Yeah, I get that. It just keeps coming back no matter how much I try to ignore them.”  
  
**“Tch. Ignoring them isn't gonna do anything. You need to leave them behind completely.”** Zangetsu stated. **“As if I need ta keep reminding ya, you've got people that want to help. What's it gonna take to get that through her thick head?”**  
  
“Shut up Zangetsu, I get it already.” Ichigo snapped.  
  
**“Hmm.”** Zangetsu made a sound of acknowledgement, but otherwise did not comment. Ichigo sat in the snow, the cold not bothering him in the slightest. Zangetsu followed his lead, deciding to sit on a flat rock poking through the fluffy white.  
  
“Hey Getsu?” Ichigo began. “What’s it like when the two of you become one being?” Zangetsu was unprepared for the question, and had no idea how to answer.  
  
**“What do you mean?”**  
  
“I guess what I’m asking is, what happens? Normally you’re two completely different people. Are you two people in one body, or do even your conscious merge, and you become someone new entirely? Are you still Shiro and Kuro, or are you simply Zangetsu?”  
  
There was a pause while Zangetsu thought about this, then, **“...Both consciousness remain intact, but they do fuze to a certain extent. Our thoughts are shared, but both of us are still here. We both influence our thoughts and what we feel. What brought that up?”**  
  
Ichigo just shrugged and looked away. “I didn't know if you were still the same Zangetsu I knew.” Zangetsu rose and walked over to Ichigo, standing in front of him. When Ichigo still wouldn't look at him, Zangetsu crouched down and ruffled his hair, something he hated.  
  
“Hey!” Sure enough, Ichigo’s eyes met his as he voiced his protest. Zangetsu grinned, not bothering to hide his amusement.  
  
**“Of course we're still the same Zangetsu, idiot. Don't think it's that easy to get rid of us.”**  
  
“Yeah. Guess you wouldn't change that easily. The two of you are too stubborn, especially Shiro.” Ichigo smirked.  
  
**“As if you're not bull headed. I get it from you.”** That remark definitely sounded like it came from Shiro.  
  
“I didn't say I wasn't, I was only saying that you are.”  
  
**“Sure, sure. Now how about you get out of here and actually go to sleep?”** Before Ichigo could reply, he was pushed from the dream world. He had the sensation of falling into a soft darkness, then nothing as he fell into a dreamless sleep.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

Rukia jumped slightly when an unfamiliar person suddenly appeared in front of her. Her hand paused on the hilt of her sword though when his reiatsu reached her. Traces of Ichigo, Shirogetsu, and Kurogetsu, all mixed together.  
  
“Zangetsu?” Rukia asked. He nodded. Used to Shirogetsu randomly materialising around Ichigo, she didn't bother to question the Zanpakuto’s presence. At least, until he spoke.  
  
**“Thank you.”**  
  
“Huh?” Rukia looked at him in surprise. “What for?”  
  
Zangetsu gestured towards Ichigo. **“For taking care of my idiot wielder.”**  
  
“Ah,” Rukia's eyes softened as she looked back to Ichigo. “Someone has to look after him, and it can't always be you. That is not a Zanpakuto’s purpose.” Zangetsu tried to argue, but Rukia didn't give him the chance.  
  
“You protect him by fighting with him, not by fussing over him like a mother hen. What if he gets into a fight and uses up all your power? You would not even be able to manifest, much less do anything else. Both of you need to understand that there will always be someone to help him out.”  
  
**“I think he's finally realised that. Took him long enough, I don't know how many times I've had to tell him.”** Zangetsu stated. **“I'll watch him if you want to leave.”**  
  
“Didn't I just say you can't always take care of him? Go rest, you were pretty beat up as well. I'll keep an eye on him.” Rukia scolded.  
  
**“Fine. Oh, and could you remind him to seal Shi-kai when he wakes up? We prefer being two people when we're not needed.”**  
  
A nod from Rukia and Zangetsu disappeared, leaving her alone with Ichigo. Checking on him once more, she stood and went over to his bookshelf. When they had found out that Ichigo was to remain in Soul Society his friends, both human and Shinigami, had helped bring some of his belongings over. It was surprising really, the books he had. For how punkish and hot headed he could be, he had Shakespeare of all things mixed in with his manga and educational books. She had read most of the books here, from the time she had spent living with him. Continuing to scan the shelf, she found a title she didn't recognize. She pulled the book from its place and sat next to Ichigo, settling in for a long wait.  
  
Hours passed without her noticing, until there was not enough light left for her to read. Looking out the window, it seemed to be later in the evening. The sun was low in the sky, not quite setting yet. She turned on the lamp, lighting up the room to see Ichigo started to shift uncomfortably in his sleep. Concerned, she put a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him somewhat. He suddenly woke with a gasp and sat up, searching the room for something.  
  
“Ichigo?..” She trailed off hesitantly. His eyes locked with hers, and she suddenly found herself in a tight embrace.  
  
“Rukia! Thank Kami you're okay. You're here, you're not gone!” He held on for a moment longer, before seeming to break out of his panic. Rukia caught him before he could pull away in embarrassment, wrapping her arms around him.  
  
“I'm here, you're here, everything's okay.” She reassured him.  
  
_“...I’m glad you're okay.”_ The words were barely a whisper, she had to strain to hear them. Giving one last light squeeze, she released him and let him pull away.  
  
“How are you feeling?” She asked. He raised his arm and made a fist, testing it.  
  
“Better. My arm still hurts a bit, but it's better than before. Everything else seems to be fine.” He noticed the time, standing up and stretching. “Geez, I slept all day?”  
  
“Yes. You needed to rest, whether you wanted to or not. Oh, and speaking of rest, Zangetsu wanted me to remind you to seal Shi-kai. They prefer being two spirits.”  
  
“Ah, yeah. My bad.” He clamped down on his reiatsu, sealing his power. The two blades shrunk and formed their sheathes.  
  
“Come on. We've lost most of the day, let's enjoy what's left. I'm tired of laying around resting.” He walked out the door, leaving Rukia staring after him.  
  
“Where are you going?”  
  
“Out. You coming?”  
  
“Wait for me!” Rukia jumped up, dropping the book and running after him as he left.

-AFT-AFT-AFT-

“Zangetsu really called you a mutt? Doesn't that make him one too?” Rukia asked in amusement.  
  
“I'd say so. I'm more of a lovable mutt though, he'd be a feral mongrel.”  
  
“Ichigo! That's no way to talk about your Zanpakuto!” Rukia scolded.  
  
“What? We go back and forth like that all the time, it's not like he cares. That's casual conversation for us.”  
  
“Yeah yeah. So where are we going again?”  
  
“You'll see, just be patient. We're almost there.” Ichigo replied. They walked for a few more minutes in silence until they came to the garden he had found when he had chased Shiro across the Seireitei.  
  
“Wow. This is beautiful, how did it get rebuilt so fast?”  
  
“It was never destroyed to begin with, it somehow managed to survive. Not everything was ruined.” Ichigo walked to the center as he spoke, spreading out the blanket he had been carrying. He sat, Rukia joining him seconds later with a basket that held two lunchboxes. The sun was low in the sky, giving the surroundings a pale orange glow.  
  
Ichigo started speaking again, softer this time. “Sometimes destruction is necessary though. Things change, you can see that in the way a new Soul Society is being made. It's not what it once was, but maybe it's becoming something better.” He turned to look directly at Rukia.  
  
“And you know,” He spoke softly, taking her hand. “People change too. This war, this new life, it’s changed me. It’s time I accept this is a new beginning. I want you to be my new beginning.” Rukia stared at him, wide eyed and shocked as he fought the urge to blush and look away.  
  
“Ichigo…” She broke out of her shock and lept into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on tightly. Ichigo returned the gesture, letting out a relieved breath. “I’d love to be your new beginning.”  
  
“You know…” Ichigo began, “I’ve always been able to see spirits. When I was little, I knew I was different. Other people couldn’t see what I could, I felt like I didn’t belong. The first time I became a Shinigami, it was as if I had found a part of myself. Losing my powers, losing everyone I knew in Soul Society, especially you, tore me apart. I was so lost those seventeen months.  
  
“When I saw you again, everything was suddenly okay. You have no idea how much I missed you. I never could have been happy with a life where you weren’t a part of it. I had to go through wars to get here, but I can be happy with this new life.” Rukia pushed herself away to look at his face.  
  
“And I will do all that I can to make you happy.” Before he could react, she reached up and placed a light kiss on his lips. He was surprised for a moment, but then lifted her chin and kissed her back. Pulling away, Rukia settled into his lap and rested her head on his shoulder. The orange glow of the setting sun had faded, giving way to the soft violet of the night sky.

-  
  
_“Along this road, we won't stop moving forward  
Not even if we become separated from one another.  
For us, most of all, there was never a time, never a place where you could just stand still  
But even so, if there were times when we were afraid, when we'd look back on it all and wonder  
We'd just say that is was our destiny, wouldn't we?  
So we started off, all walking down the same road”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End Quote Tite Kubo


	20. AFT 00: Extra Scenes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a sort of Christmas gift, I am giving everyone all the unused pieces and deleted scenes from AFT. Some are simply extra pieces, and others are alternatives to some of the chapters. I hope you enjoy! :)

**-Scrapped School Chapter-**

(Somewhere between Ch 3-7)

Shiro had been taking full advantage of his newfound ability to materialise, becoming increasingly unpredictable with his antics. Now was one such instance. Shiro had been left to roam around town with Zangetsu while Ichigo went to school. They were supposed to meet up with him after, but unfortunately things were not meant to go according to plan. Ichigo felt Shiro return to their inner world a split second before he appeared in the classroom.

'Get out of here!' Ichigo mentally shouted. Shiro simply grinned and shrugged, uncaring of the attention he was getting from the spiritually aware. When the teacher turned back to the blackboard Ichigo quickly reached out and pulled Shiro back, pushing him down to sit on the floor next to his desk. A glance around to those who saw, and they seemed to understand he had it under control. Once they were no longer staring, Ichigo started writing on the corner of his paper. When he finished, he tore it off and passed it to Shiro.

' _Why are you here? Most of these people can see you, you know. Either go away or go back to our mindscape."_ Shiro read it, crumpled it up, and flicked it at Ichigo, who caught it with a flash of annoyance.

'Just go away already. Actually, no. Stay here and behave. Class will be done in a few minutes and I can deal with you then.'

" **Aw, you don't have time to play with me now?"** Shiro poked Ichigo in the side, getting his hand quietly smacked away. Foregoing the last few minutes of notes, Ichigo took out a new piece of paper and made a fortune teller, handing it to Shiro with a pen.

"Keep yourself busy for a few minutes." He whispered. Shiro shrugged and started drawing on the paper toy. Class ended a few minutes later and people started breaking into their groups of friends for lunch period. Ichigo grabbed his lunch and tried to escape the classroom with Shiro, but was blocked by his friends.

"Who is that?" Tatsuki asked.

"Yeah, and why does he look like a negative image of you?" Keigo went to poke Shiro, but Mizuiro casually grabbed his finger and twisted it.

"OW! You're so mean!" Keigo cried.

"You shouldn't get so excited, Mr. Asano." Mizuiro replied. His lip twitched into a smile, already knowing his reaction.

"Mr. Asano? Mr. Asano? No, how can you be so cold to me!" Without a word Ichigo picked Keigo up by the back of his shirt, set him outside the classroom, and shut the door in his face, ignoring his faint cries.

"Meet Shirosaki. I'm sure you've all seen my Zanpakuto before?" A chorus of nods. "Well, Zanpakuto are alive and they live in their Shinigami's inner world. Shiro lives there too, but he recently figured out how to manifest himself out here. Problem is, some people can see him and some can't. He's also a bit on the crazy side."

"If he lives inside your head, what does that say about you?" Uryu had come over and joined in, lightly mocking him. He was also fingering his cross, obviously aware of Shiro's Hollow energy. Shiro cuffed Uryu on the back of the head, earning a protest from him.

" **Only me and the midget can insult my King."**

"Hey!"

**-Fluffy and Dangerous, Alt-**

(Ch 7)

"..."

" **..."**

Ichigo stared at the cat, at a loss for words. And apparently Shiro was too. It meowed at him, then sat right in front of him.

"Is… that really a Hollow?"

" **It definitely seems that way."** Shiro commented. Ichigo released his sword, crouching down to get closer to the cat. It cocked its head, but otherwise didn't move. He dug around in his pocket, pulling out a bag of jerky. The cat's ears perked up when he offered it a piece of the dry meat, and cautiously crept towards him.

" **If that thing takes a bite of anything but the food, it's dead."** Shiro warned. The cat took the meat, devouring it in seconds. The instant it nipped Ichigo's fingers Shiro materialised and picked it up by the scruff, holding it up to stare it in the eyes.

" **What do you think you're doing, mangy fur ball?"** It looked up at him with large yellow black eyes, not at all intimidated. Their eyes met and it paused, then began to squirm excitedly in his grip.

" **What the-?"** He dropped the cat and it immediately jumped onto his shoulder, rubbing its head on his face. When he pushed it away, it turned and smacked him in the face with it's fluffy tail before proceeding to groom his hair with its tongue.

Ichigo laughed at the shocked Hollow's expression. "It likes you!" He choked out.

" **Shut up. Stop it, you stupid ball of fur!"** He managed to grab the cat once more and pull it off.

"Here, let me see." Ichigo took the cat and held it in one arm. He traced the tiara shaped fragment on its head with a gentle finger, talking to it.

"I see you have a crown. Are you a princess?" To his surprise, it seemed to nod in response.

"You're a fiery one, that's for sure. Do you have a name?" The cat seemed sad when he asked this question, so he quickly moved on.

"Would you like me to give you a name, princess?" She perked up again as he continued talking to her.

"What do you think of Kasai? A strong name to match your fiery personality." Kasai reached up and licked his cheek, happily accepting the new name.

" **You… did you… You just took in a Hollow and named her?"** Shiro asked in disbelief.

"Why not?" Ichigo replied. "You're not dangerous, are you?" He rubbed her ears and she closed her eyes, purring.

" **It's a Hollow. There's no such thing as a harmless Hollow."**

"What about Nell and those idiot brothers of hers?"

" **Fair point. But those kind are hard to find. You can't trust that they'll be friendly once they're done with you."**

"Yeah, I get it. I'm not gonna purify her as long as she doesn't hurt anyone. If I have to though, I will. I'll be keeping an eye on her."

" **Tch. Suit yerself."**

**-Ch 8 Frag-**

Shiro continued to go to school, and the cat had started following him more than Ichigo. Shiro liked the cat, but he would've rathered it follow Ichigo instead. Kasai would follow him everywhere, so they made sure that the cat's gigai was left at home during the day. In class she would sit on his lap or try to climb onto his shoulder, he would quietly shove her off, and she would growl at him and try again. During lunch she would steal food from him or Ichigo, or raid a lunch that had been forgotten that morning. After school, she would disappear for a few hours, only to show up again at home. They didn't know the reason why until they got home one day.

They had sat down to do homework for only a few minutes until they heard a scratching at the window. Ichigo looked over to see why Kasai was home early, and didn't just phase through the window like she usually did, being a spirit. He was shocked to see her holding two tiny kittens by their scruffs, both of them asleep. One of them looked similar to her, but with a bit more white. The other was pure black with fiery orange paws. Both were dirty though, and looked like strays. He got up and opened the window, which let Kasai to jump onto the bed and place the filthy bundles on the pillow. He reached out to pick the black one up, but quickly pulled his hand back with several deep scratches. Kasai huffed, then took the one he had tried to touch to her box bed before coming back and starting to groom the orange one. When that was done, she dropped the clean cat in her box and took the dirty one out to groom. Finally putting both in her box, she curled around them in a fluffy ball and fell asleep.

"So she brought home two kittens and probably isn't going to let them go. Guess we have to take care of them too." Ichigo had returned from bandaging the scratches, and was looking at the cat with irritation, though Shiro could see that Ichigo thought they were kinda cute. They went back to homework, and left after they were done to go out for a bit.

Kasai woke up sometime later, and her movement woke the kittens. They started mewling and squirming around everywhere. She looked around to see that a bowl of food had been left, and that Ichigo and Shiro were gone. Now knowing they were alone, she shoved the kittens out of the nest toward the food. She knew she could only care for them a little longer. If she stayed around them to much longer, their still developing souls would start to absorb traces of her Hollow energy, possibly harming them or giving them powers of their own. As the kittens finished eating and started to play, she saw the door open and an unfamiliar person step in. She was going to protect what she had claimed as hers.

**-Lunch Break-**

(Ch 7)

Ichigo sat on the roof to eat his lunch, Kasai sitting right next to him. He had sensed Rukia close behind, and resigned himself to the interrogation he knew was coming. Sure enough she arrived moments later and plopped herself down to join the group. Fortunately Keigo and Mizuiro hadn't made it up there yet, which made this easier for Rukia.

"So, Ichigo." She began. "Mind telling me why you have a Hollow following you to school?"

He tread carefully with his answer, knowing full well the wrong one could land him in trouble. "I found her while I was out on patrol yesterday. She wasn't hostile, and didn't seem interested in hurting anyone. Actually, she's been strangely clingy and affectionate to Shiro and I. I figured there was no need to purify her if she wasn't hurting anything. She may be a Hollow, but she's her own being. She's not a mindless monster like most of them are. Hey!"

Kasai chose that moment to steal a piece of food from his lunchbox, springing back as Ichigo went to swat her away. She quickly finished the stolen food, then tried to sneak back up to the lunchbox. This time Ichigo caught her and smacked her paw before another piece could be stolen.

Instead of getting angry, Kasai dramatically flopped over and began to cry and whine, flailing her paw in the air. Rukia could only laugh at the cat's antics and Ichigo's baffled expression. Pulled in by the cat's antics, Rukia scooted closer and scooped the cat into her lap.

"Is he being mean to you?" She cooed. Kasai looked up at her and nodded. "Should I make him share?" Her eyes lit up and ears perked at the offer.

"You know what? Just take it." Ichigo put some of his food in the lid of the box and set it next to him. Kasai happily hopped off Rukia's lap to accept the offered food.

"You're such a pushover, letting her get away with that."

Ichigo scoffed. "It's not the cat I'm afraid of."

**-Visitors From SS-**

(Ch 8)

"Shiro? Keep Kasai here, I'm going to see who just came through the Senkaimon. Not everyone's gonna be okay with me having her here."

"Fine, tell them to mind their own business. Kasai, come here." Kasai went over to Shiro, settling down in his lap. With a short nod, Ichigo used his pass and lept out the window, sprinting across the sky. He met Byakuya halfway to the other end of town, stopping in front of him to block his way.

"Byakuya. What brings you here? Surely there's no reason for a Captain to be here."

"And I am sure you have at least some idea why I am here. Multiple high level Hollows have been detected in this area, and have not been dealt with. If for whatever reason you could not handle it, someone of a lower seat would not have been able to do anything in such a situation. What do you know of these Hollows?"

"I- it's hard to explain. I can show you, but you have to keep an open mind about this. They're not dangerous, and haven't hurt anyone. You have to promise you won't do anything to them."

"Very well. I will hold you to your word, and I will not take action against them. However, I will not hesitate to defend and kill if they are hostile."

"Alright, let's go then." Ichigo led Byakuya at a casual pace, taking the time to start a mental conversation with Shiro.

" **So it's Mr. Stick up the rear?"** Shiro asked.

"Yeah."

" **And you're bringing him here, why? You told us to stay put!"**

"Look, he's promised not to try anything, and he can give some excuse to Soul Society as to why there's Hollows hanging around here."

" **I don't trust those Shinigami, and Pretty Boy doesn't exactly like us. Especially me, considering I tried to kill him the first time I met him. He's just gonna go back and report us if he doesn't try and kill us himself. And if he picks a fight with me, I can't guarantee he'll make it out."**

"I know he doesn't like us, but I got his word on it. And his pride won't let him break it unless you force him to. So _don't,_ and it'll be fine."

" **Che. I'll leave him alone if he leaves me alone."**

"Good enough."

**-Ambush-**

(Ch 11 alt fragment)

Ichigo and Shiro veered away from the busy street, heading to the nearby park. Going to the farthest end of it, they were able to find a quiet place with no one else nearby. Ichigo sat on a rock and sighed, Shiro opting to stand next to him.

"We've sure in a mess here, aren't we? I'm sure we've got most of the Captains angry with us, and even with Byakuya and Toshiro on our side, we don't stand a chance against the rest of the Gotei. It's not even a matter of power, it's the fact that we're so far outnumbered."

" **You do have a tendency to cause trouble wherever you go."** Shiro commented.

"Yes, you do." The voice came from behind them, and Shiro was knocked out before he could turn around. Ichigo jumped up and turned to see the one that had attacked them, at the same time pulling Shiro back to the inner world.

"Captain Kyoraku. What are you doing here?" Ichigo demanded.

"Yama-Jii wants ya to come to Soul Society to have a talk about what's been going on." Shunsui replied.

"No offense, but I don't think a talk's gonna happen. That's not how things generally go with the Sou-Taicho." Ichigo snapped.

"Is that so? Well that's too bad, we still have to bring you back anyway."

"We?" The moment Ichigo voiced his confusion he was hit from behind and he found himself flat on the ground with someone on his back.

"Ow…" He twisted to see Soi-Fon using Kido to bind his wrists behind him. "Hey! Get off!" He tried to get up and throw her off, but his human body was no match for her supernatural strength and she easily kept him down until she was done. She stepped away, letting him sit back up. Testing his bindings, he recognised it as the same one that had been used during the Shattered Shaft training.

"I will keep Kurosaki here if you could retrieve the other two Captains."

"You just want a chance to laze about." Soi-Fon scoffed.

"Now now, we can't just leave him by himself, and as the leader of the stealth force, you should have no trouble bringing them in." Shunsui commented.

"Fine." She huffed and left in a rush of shunpo, leaving them behind.

**-Escape Attempt-**

_(Ch 12 Alt. This section onward is an alternate route the story almost took, and as such nothing after this point fits within the final story.)_

Several Captains were reaching for their Zanpakuto, ready to fight at a moments notice. _'No. Oh no. Move! Get up!'_ Ichigo started to struggle against the Kido binding him, trying to break free.

" _Shiro! HELP ME!"_ Ichigo's reiatsu turned dark as it rose even higher, and his mask began to form, drawing on his Hollow power. In an instant he was free and bolted, using sonido to race away. He felt two Captains give chase, the rest staying behind. Taking just a moment to sense their energy, he cursed his luck when he realised who was following him.

' _Jushiro I don't have a problem with, but Unohana is scary when she's angry, and she's definitely not going to be happy about this. But if I let her catch me, she's just gonna take me back, and I'm right back where I started, just in a lot more trouble.'_ Ichigo was so distracted with his thoughts that he misfired a sonido and missed his landing on the next rooftop, crashing down hard. In the few seconds it took him to stand, Unohana appeared in front of him. Jushiro had apparently fallen behind at some point, and did not arrive with the other Captain.

"Ichigo. Why did you leave? No one would have been allowed to harm you, you should know that." She chided. Ichigo froze, the hard look she was giving him telling him not to leave.

"Why should I have stayed? Even if they're not allowed, some of them hate me enough to ignore that. I was still in a bad situation back there." He shot back.

"Sou-Taicho, as well as Kyoraku, Jushiro, and myself would not have let anything happen to you." Unohana stepped forward when he looked away, reaching out to touch him. Seeing this, he immediately turned back to her, only for her to place a hand on his forehead, releasing the Kaido she had been preparing.

"Wha-?" Ichigo tried to protest, but wasn't able to before he suddenly collapsed, prompting Unohana to catch him before he hit the ground. Jushiro finally caught up, seeing Unohana lifting Ichigo into her arms.

"What happened?" Jushiro asked.

"I caught up to him when he fell and confronted him. I have knocked him out to make sure there will be no further issues. If you'll excuse me, I will be taking him to the Fourth for now." Unohana explained.

"Of course. I will let Sou-Taicho know when I return."

"Thank you." Jushiro left the way he had come to return to the meeting hall, leaving Ichigo with the healer. Unohana turned the direction of the Fourth and began walking.

**-Ch 12 Alt, Cont'd-**

"Ichigo. Ichigo! Wake up, stupid!" Rukia stood in front of Ichigo's cell, trying to wake him up while fighting with the lock. He had curled up in the corner and fallen asleep, and wasn't responding to her shouting. Finally, she simply froze the lock and shattered it, marching in to shake Ichigo awake.

"I said get up!" Ichigo startled awake at her touch, then pushed her away and sat up.

"What?" He asked irritably. "Wait, why are you here?" His tone changed to confusion as he took in the fact that Rukia seemed to have broken in.

"Get up, we can't stay here! We have to leave right now, I'll explain on the way." She pulled him to his feet and shoved his swords in his hands. "Get ready to run. We have to go fast."

"Hold on, let me get rid of these then." He drew his smaller blade and pulled his sleeve up to reveal a thick black band.

"Wait!" Ichigo's blade paused against the band and he looked at her.

"What?"

"Those things. That's why your reiatsu feels so low! But they're not seals, what are they?"

"Ah. You know Kenpachi's eyepatch? This is made from the same material. It eats away at my energy instead of sealing it, because sealing my level of power could have caused damage." Ichigo explained. "At least, that's what Unohana told me when I asked her. It interferes with my powers enough to make them pretty much non-existent, and the constant drain is exhausting."

"..." Several thoughts raced through Rukia's head as she hastily came to a decision.

"Don't take those off yet. We need to keep your energy low so we're not detected, and that will have to work since you still can't control your Reiatsu.

"Fine. Let's get going then." He secured his blades back in place and followed Rukia out. "Where are we going anyway? And what's the hurry?" She grabbed his arm and flashed away, making Ichigo struggle to hear her over the rushing air.

"You're in a lot of trouble. Central 46 got wind of this mess, and now they want to force you to serve Soul Society. They want to kill your human self and make you a full Shinigami. Once your dead, your powers will be sealed and you will be under their control until you assimilate. They want to kill you and break you, Ichigo."

Ichigo's expression darkened. "You know, sometimes I think Aizen had the right idea wiping those idiots out. Do they ever do anything useful?" He complained.

"No… they've become so corrupt that even the replacements are not any better than the original. As long as they are the way they are, things will never change. Those fools." Her reply was bitter, probably remembering things past.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Ichigo suddenly changed the topic to their current situation.

"The training grounds under Sokyoku Hill, Renji is waiting for us with the Captains. We'll hide out there until we can figure out our next step."

"Right."

**-Plans to meet Aizen-**

"I have to know what Aizen was thinking. Maybe he was right all along. I'm starting to see why he might have done what he did. Especially Central 46. As cruel as this sounds, it seems like he did us a favor when he wiped them out."

"Ichigo…"

"I can't stand not knowing." He clenched his fists, reining himself in.

"How are you going to do it?"

"Huh?"

"You want to meet him, right? I can see you've made up your mind. I can't stop you, so I may as well help you out."

"Thanks." Ichigo offered her a smile before returning to his thoughts. "The biggest problem will be hiding my reiatsu. I can pull most of it in, but can't actually suppress it. After that, I could use shunpo to avoid being seen."

"Even if you manage to hide your reiatsu, using shunpo will still leave traces behind. I think I might have something you can use instead."

"What's that?"

"A kido that masks reiatsu and hides the user by bending light."

"So wait. It makes me invisible?"

"In a sense, yes."

Ichigo smiled, but there was no humor in it. "Great. Let's go."

"Now?"

"Now."

**-Visiting Aizen-**

Using his reiatsu to create a floating ball of light in his palm, Ichigo held it up to see in the pitch blackness.

"Is this really it?" He examined the keyholes in the floor, all connected to whatever they held between them. The darkness consumed the light so, steeling his determination, he stepped past the boundary to approach his target.

"Wha-?" Where he found Aizen the almost god was bound in a stone chair, thick leathery straps crossing his body.

"Well, there's no way I can hold a conversation with you like this." He stepped closer, drawing his blade from his hip and examining the restraints. The band covering his lower face wrapped behind his head and around a pillar on the back of the chair, immobilizing his head. It easily snapped between the sharp blade and hard stone, falling uselessly to the ground.

There was a faint rushing of air as Aizen took a deep breath. Reiatsu came crashing down with the exhale, forcing Ichigo to the ground with a gasp. It lifted moments later allowing him to unsteadily sit up, only to be horrified by what he saw. Aizen was standing from the chair, pulling broken seals off his body. He looked to the child on the floor, making Ichigo freeze.

"How ironic that the one who gave everything to stop me would be the one to free me."

"I didn't intend to release you. I only wanted to talk." Ichigo defended as he scrambled to his feet.

"Did you not consider that I could escape with the slightest opening? You should have known what removing even a single seal would do." Having dropped the smaller blade in his earlier fall he reached for the blade on his back, only to touch a hand already grasping the hilt.

"This is not a good time or place for such conversation." Aizen whispered. Before Ichigo could react, reiatsu surged from Aizen's fingertips into several points in the back of his head. The light he had been holding was snuffed out, plunging them into darkness once again. Sparks danced in his eyes and his body went numb, barely registering the cold stone he collapsed on. Breaking the rest of the seals and throwing them away, Aizen used his own purple reiatsu for light. He picked Ichigo off the floor and lifted him onto his shoulder, the shock having rendered the boy unresponsive.

Testing his newly restored power he tore open a Garganta, which sealed itself almost immediately. The next attempt formed a stable portal which he disappeared through right as guards came rushing in. The portal closed after him, stopping anyone from being able to follow them. The other end of the portal dropped them in Aizen's old quarters in Las Noches.

It was somewhere between a study and a living area, but that suited him just fine. To one side there was a low desk with a pillow to sit on against one wall with a bookshelf packed with books, scrolls, and loose pages next to it. A small cabinet sat on the other side, holding his stationary. Against the back wall was a closet with a traditional futon laying in front of it, and on the other wall was a couch. A kotatsu sat in the center of the room with a couple of pillows around it and a lamp sitting on top.

Aizen lay Ichigo on the couch then moved to sit at his desk. Papers and writing tools were scattered about as if someone had gone digging through them and not bothered to put anything back. The books and scrolls from the shelf were in much the same condition, thrown to the floor in a disorganized heap. Clothing from the closet was strewn about, having been carelessly gone through. Refocusing on the mess that was his desk, he began cleaning up. One thing at a time…

**-Aizen's Study-**

Hours later, Ichigo finally started to wake up. He remembered meeting Aizen, but that was it. Aizen must have knocked him out and taken him somewhere, because he certainly wasn't in the dark prison anymore. He groaned and rolled to face the back of the couch, pulling the pillow over his head to block out the light. Having reiatsu forced into pressure points was not a pleasant experience, and it left a lingering pain in the back of his head.

"Not concerned that you are alone with me?" Aizen asked.

"Shut up." Ichigo groaned. "If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it already."

"True enough. Do you even have any idea where you are though?"

There was a muffled curse and Ichigo pulled the pillow off his head and sat up, taking in his surroundings. "... I have no idea." He stated flatly.

"This is my study in Las Noches."

"Wait. We're in Las Noches? Hueco Mundo?"

"That is correct."

"Why?"

"We will not be found or interrupted here. You wanted to talk with me?"

"Ah, yeah." Ichigo fell silent, thinking about where to start. "Why did you turn from Soul Society?"

"I could not reach my goals if I had remained under their oppression."

"Was your goal really to become a god? Or was it just a means to get something else?"

"Straight to the point I see." Aizen sighed and turned from his work, giving Ichigo his full attention. "I may as well tell you everything from the beginning."

**-Cannot rely on Zanjutsu-**

After SS blow up, sometime later during training w/Aizen

"While zanjutsu is the primary choice for most Shinigami, you cannot rely on only one form of combat. Allow me to demonstrate. Come at me with nothing but your blade and try to disarm me. There is to be no Hoho or Kido in this match."

"Alright, fine. Let's go then!" Ichigo drew his two blades and charged at Aizen, who used his own reiatsu to make a reishi sword. Aizen raised his blade to meet the attack and twisted, deflecting it while simultaneously launching one of his own. Out of reflex, Ichigo shunpo'd back out of reach.

"I said no Hoho." Aizen chided.

"Yeah, I got it." Ichigo went after him again with a wide swing of his sword. Aizen ducked under it and moved in closer. Discarding the blade he grabbed Ichigo's wrist and swiftly twisted the small blade out of his hand. He threw it away and rematerialised his sword to block a strike from the side.

"Just because I lost one doesn't mean I'm done yet." Ichigo snarled. Aizen only smiled.

"I beg to differ." He pushed Ichigo's blade away and sprung up, grabbing Ichigo's shoulder as he vaulted over him. Aizen landed behind him and used his grip on Ichigo's shirt to throw him to the ground. Ichigo very suddenly found himself face down in the dirt with a knee in his back, a hand twisting his left arm behind him, and the other forcing his head to the ground.

"Do you surrender?"

"Ngh!" Ichigo tried to respond, but couldn't with his face pressed to the floor.

"What was that?" Aizen loosened his grip enough for Ichigo to speak.

"No!"

"Fine. You have five minutes to free yourself. If you cannot, it is my win." He pushed Ichigo back down as he began to struggle. Adjusting his grip on Zangetsu, Ichigo brought his arm back to try and push himself up. Aizen twisted his other arm and shifted his weight on his back, halting any progress he was making with a muted cry of pain. Letting go of Zangetsu completely he thrust his elbow behind him, attempting to hit the one holding him down. Again, his efforts were nullified. This sort of routine continued for a few more minutes until Ichigo simply went limp in Aizen's grip.

"Finished?" Ichigo nodded as best he could, prompting Aizen to release him. The sudden lack of pressure made him gasp slightly as he finally pushed himself up. Something off to the side caught his attention, and he looked over to see Shiro had materialized, tense and ready to jump in. When Ichigo gave him a nod that he was alright, Shiro released the grip on his sword and simply crossed his arms, still silently watching.

**-After meeting Aizen-**

_After S.S. situation blows up, ch ?what?_

"Ichigo! You baka, what were you _thinking?!_ You should have known what would happen. You're lucky he didn't want you dead!" Rukia shouted.

"Eh, my bad."

"MY BAD!? That's all you have to say?!"

"Hey, it ended up working out okay didn't it?"

"That- that's not the point!" She sputtered. Ichigo put a hand on her head, reassuring her.

"I'm fine and he doesn't want us dead. Everything's fine, shorty."

"Who are you calling short, strawberry?" The reassurance and familiar nickname did exactly what he wanted it to, as Rukia reverted to her usual self.

"What happened while you were gone?"

"We talked for a bit and came to some understandings and agreements. He's going to be hiding out in Hueco Mundo for the time being, but he gave me this." Ichigo pulled out a smooth black stone that reflected almost no light.

"What is that?"

"It uses your reiatsu to open a Garganta to Las Noches. According to Aizen, you have to know exactly where you want to go. Keep that place in mind when you activate it, and it should take you straight there. Same thing for traveling to the Soul Society and the World of the Living."

"How can something so powerful exist? And why would he just give it to you?"

"I have no idea." Ichigo admitted. "But it must have been important for him to have handed it over."

**-Playing with Cero's-**

Shiro leaned back on his perch, watching Ichigo out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't really interested in what he was doing, but had come along anyway in case he was needed. Deciding Ichigo was doing fine on his own, Shiro soon grew bored. He absently started to gather energy in his palm, until the concentrated energy resembled a cero. It glowed brightly in his hand, wanting to be released. Shiro held it tightly and decided to see if he could take it a step further. The already condensed energy fought his control as he attempted to compress it even more.

Painfully slowly, it began to shrink in his hand. A glassy coating formed around the pulsing red core, gradually becoming thicker the longer he compressed it. Eventually it completely solidified and he cautiously released his hold on the energy. He took the glassy ball and held it up to examine it. It was stable enough to be left alone, but he got the feeling that all hell would break loose if he dropped or cracked the shell.

**-Deadly hide-and-seek-**

Ichigo clamped down on his reiatsu as hard as he could and slipped into the crevice he had found in the wall. He was at a huge disadvantage in this deadly game of hide and seek, his opponent having just as much power and centuries more of experience. Raw power meant nothing if he didn't know how to use it. Aizen appeared in his limited view through the crack in the wall and Ichigo pressed himself further back in the crawlspace, hoping Aizen would pass him by.

Aizen glanced in his direction and a small smirk crossed his features as one hand lit up an angry red and the other a soft green. Ichigo bit out a curse as Aizen shot the spells at him, the shakkaho destroying his shelter and the green kaido hitting him head on. He was thrown back and landed painfully among the pile of rubble that had formed, coming to a stop face down in the dirt and unable to rise. The back of his shirt was grabbed and he was roughly flipped onto his back. He saw a blade flash in front of his eyes as it was brought down on him. It grazed his cheek, leaving a long scratch across it as it sunk into the dirt beside his head.

"You're loss." Aizen smirked as he stood and pulled his blade from the dirt, flicking it clean before sheathing it. Ichigo sat up, brushing off the effects of the stunning spell.

"That was so not fair." He rubbed the blood off his cheek while he complained.

"In a fight, your opponent will do anything they can to gain an advantage. There is no such thing as fairness in battle. Regardless, you still lost this round. Now, tell me what you did wrong." With a sigh, Ichigo began mentally reviewing his fight.

"I lost one of my blades early on in the fight and never got it back. That alone was a huge disadvantage."

"You showed the ability at one point in the past to summon your blade back to you. Why did you not do so here?"

**-Kido-Lessons-**

"Every kido is different, even ones that appear to be similar, such as Shakkaho and Sokatsui. Bakudo is in some ways easier to demonstrate this with, because it takes on a solid form, whereas Hado usually does not. Because you are so powerful with so little experience in kido, the traditional method of learning will not work for you. Normally, kido is taught when a Shinigami's power is still developing, so they don't need to worry about overloading the spell while forming it and learning its structure. In your case, you have too much power to simply form the kido and learn that way. Instead, you will have to learn the structure first, then learn to supply just enough power to sustain it."

"How am I supposed to learn it if I can't form it then?"

Aizen held out his hands towards Ichigo, his palms up. "Place your hands over mine, just like this, and focus your energy there." Ichigo complied then Aizen said, "Hado 31: Shakkaho."

A ball of fire materialised in their hands, drawing from Ichigo's energy, but held stable by Aizen. "Without breaking the spell, I want you to use your reiatsu to feel and study the structure of that kido."

"That's it? That shouldn't be too hard." Ichigo stated. Clearly, he had no idea how difficult that task would be. Carefully probing the kido with his reiatsu, he put just a little too much power into it, causing the fireball to swell and vanish in a burst of smoke.

"We're gonna sit here till I get this, aren't I?" Ichigo asked flatly. His only reply from Aizen was a smirk.

Ichigo sighed. "Of course we are, why did I even ask?" Aizen simply formed another fireball, once again letting Ichigo take hold of it.

"It's all up to you, how long this is going to take." Aizen needlessly informed him.

"I know, just shut up so I can concentrate."

**-Kido Lessons 2-**

Because he was now permanently living in the Soul Society, Rukia and Jushiro had taken it upon themselves to teach him kido, and Ichigo enjoyed visiting the older Captain for the lessons. He surprised everyone with his skill, having picked it up much faster than anyone had expected.

While he still struggled with Hado every now and then, Bakudo had been fairly easy for him to learn. He had even learned some lesser known spells that were not part of the numbered kido, thanks to Jushiro. One of the first he insisted Jushiro teach him, for reasons he would not explain, was a high level privacy kido that could isolate an entire room.

He played with bakudo often, experimenting with different types of shields and barriers, and seeing which ones could actually be of any use. It was rare that he made anything useful, but it let him work his creativity a bit, helping distract him from darker thoughts that threatened to take over. The best part about working with Bakudo was the fact that there was almost no limit to what he could come up with, as long as he had the power to sustain whatever technique he came up with. Because he had learned to control his energy earlier on, he was able to be incredibly detailed and precise with his creations. One of his favorite things to do with the kidō was to create animals that he could move and control as he wanted. He loved using it to entertain the young children who had come to know him in Rukongai, even though he could only make one or two creatures at a time.


End file.
